Raisa Premiera – A group of vocal supporters continued an overnight vigil outside a Jakarta hospital on Thursday to support a man who dramatically set himself on fire during a suspected protest against the Indonesian government.

The unidentified man survived the attempted suicide outside the State Palace on Thursday evening, but is listed as being in a critical condition in the intensive care unit of Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital (RSCM) in Central Jakarta.

It is believe to be the first protest of its kind in Indonesia, though there is increasing resentment building against President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for failing to make any progress in eradicating rampant corruption and poverty.

Speaking during a news conference at the state-run hospital on Thursday, Dr Akmal Taher, the hospital director, said the man had burns to 97 percent of his body, making it unlikely he would survive.

"We are trying to save him but it will be difficult to do so," Akmal said. He was using a respirator to help him breathe, he said. Burn injuries to the man's face would also hamper efforts to identify the victim, he said.

Outside the hospital, a group of about a dozen people, who began gathering outside the hospital on Wednesday night, were distributing an open letter to passers-by.

The letter, presented on behalf of Jaringan Kampus (Campus Network), offered its sympathy to the victim, who they believed set himself on fire to protest against the central government. The group compared the incident to the self-immolation of Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi, whose protest sparked the Arab Spring uprisings.

Jati, a member of the group, said they had spoken to a witnessn who stated that the man, who approached the Presidential Palace from the National Monument (Monas), poured three bottles of gas over himself before igniting himself.

As he burned he continued to walk toward the palace before collapsing, Jati said. Jati said that according to the witness, the man was wearing tidy clothing and footwear and screamed antigovernment messages before he set himself on fire.

Proposal to delete three zeros from rupiah moves forward

Jakarta Globe - December 6, 2011

Dion Bisara – Indonesia is one step closer to slashing a number of zeros from the rupiah after the government on Tuesday said it would submit a currency redenomination bill to the House of Representatives by next year.

Redenomination is a process whereby a new unit of currency replaces the old. The most common way of achieving this is to remove three zeros from the old currency. For example, Rp 1,000 will be Rp 1 in the future.

"The redenomination plan is now in the harmonization stage," Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo told journalists on Tuesday.

Agus said the harmonization of the bill with other laws and regulations was being undertaken by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. He said the redenomination process would take five to ten years to implement.

"We will take examples of the nations that have successfully implemented redenomination, as well as taking lesson from those that failed," he said.

Bank Indonesia has introduced higher-denomination bills five times since 1964. The Rp 100,000 note is now the second-highest denomination banknote after Vietnam's 500,000 dong note, which is worth about $26.

Woman sentenced to 2 years in jail after wedding deception

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2011

Joni Nunas Lestari, 31-years-old, was sentenced to two years in jail on Tuesday after disguising herself as a man and tricking another woman, Nur Aslim Velayati, 22, into marrying her.

The Sungginasa District Court in Gowa, South Sulawesi, also sentenced Joni's accomplice, Waode Nirmalasari, 30, to a year in prison for helping Joni in her scheme.

"Their sentences are lighter because they've promised not to cover their identities as women," the head of the panel of judges, Abdul Rahman Hakim, said during the court hearing on Tuesday. Prosecutors earlier demanded three years in prison for Joni and two years for Waode.

Both were reported by Nur, who found out that Joni was actually a woman after she spent a month at Nur's parents' home, shortly before their planned wedding day in mid-October. "I knew her [Joni] from the phone. We dated for two weeks, and I didn't suspect her at that time," Nur explained.

"But the family became suspicious [during Joni's stay at Nur's home]. She never took off her shirt after taking a bath. Then her gestures and appearance became suspicious, too," she added, as quoted by tempo.co. Nur said her family had suffered from financial losses due to the deceit, as they had spent money to prepare for the annulled wedding.

Fascination with the undead troubles Jakarta Police

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2011

Hans David Tampubolon, Jakarta – Police officers were forced to deploy to Central Jakarta on Friday in response to an unusual public order issue caused by a flock of superstitious enthusiasts.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Baharudin Djafar told The Jakarta Post that officers had been deployed to Roxy, Central Jakarta, because of a traffic jam caused by residents wanting to catch sight of a so-called zombie, traditionally known as pocong, that was allegedly hanging from the top of a tree.

Baharudin said on Friday that police were initially reluctant to respond to reports of the sightings, but had been forced to deploy when more people headed to the scene.

"We were trying to secure the residents and manage the traffic jam," he said. Baharudin also urged residents to use logic over superstition and not cause such incidents in the future.

The issue saw Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali call for residents to remain calm in the face of such supernatural rumors. "There is no way for such phenomena to be seen with the naked eye, especially during broad daylight," he said.

This is not the first time that unconfirmed supernatural rumors have caused a stir in Jakartan society and forced local authorities to shift their focus.

Fears connected to the supernatural have in the past also appeared to affect President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who once stated that his rivals used black magic against him during 2009 presidential election.

At that time the President said that he was so concerned about it that he, his wife and his driver continuously prayed on their way to take part in the final presidential debate.

Last year, the Jakarta administration filed a complaint to the Jakarta Police against youth organization United Islam Youth (Persis) for allegedly cutting down a 100-year-old banyan tree near Harmoni Central Busway station in Central Jakarta.

The group defended its action by saying that it was attempting to diminish a misleading belief about the tree being sacred.

Also last year, a meteorite that ripped through three houses in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta, attracted a lot of interest from residents, some of whom linked this natural phenomenon with supernatural effects. There were reports of people searching for fragments of the meteorite, which were then intended to be worn as amulets.

Scholars have said that a great social shift from the traditional to the modern had left people half traditional and half modern.

Under such conditions, scholars say, people tend to explain things in a way that gives them psychological comfort, such as linking natural phenomena with superstitious beliefs.

Bridge firms deny blame as Bakrie link emerges

Jakarta Globe - December 2, 2011

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The firms in charge of building and maintaining the Mahakam II Bridge that collapsed and killed at least 19 people on Saturday continued to deny all liability on Thursday.

At a hearing before House of Representatives Commission V, which oversees public works, officials from state-owned contractor Hutama Karya, which built the bridge in East Kalimantan's Kutai Kartanegara district, and engineering services firm Bukaka Teknik Utama, which was tasked with its maintenance, absolved themselves of any responsibility.

"It was completely unexpected that this disaster happened," Bukaka director Ersa Kamaruddin told legislators. "In this case, we're like a doctor who receives a patient with some unknown illness and the patient suddenly dies on us."

He added that the company, owned by former Vice President Jusuf Kalla, had been given a Rp 2.8 billion ($311,000) contract to "change a few bolts and tighten others," set to run from October to December this year.

However, he said the maintenance work had not yet begun at the time of the collapse and that Bukaka engineers had only gotten as far as carrying out a few measurements.

Ersa said that two Bukaka workers were confirmed dead in the incident and four were still missing and presumed dead.

Hutama Karya, which previously said it was only legally liable for the suspension bridge for the first 180 days of its life, continued to claim ignorance of the flaws that plagued the structure. Hutama Karya director Tri Wijayanto said he was unaware that after construction was completed in 2001, the anchor blocks for the bridge's pillars kept shifting by 18 centimeters a year.

"As far as we know, it doesn't matter if it's shifting. As long as the bridge is still working, then it's fine," he said. "Besides, no one ever complained about the shifting."

Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto, who also testified at the hearing, confirmed an earlier hypothesis by engineers that the suspension cables had not snapped, but that linchpins for the ties connecting the cables to the deck had sheared. "The cables themselves are still sound. There was no damage to them," he said.

Tri said the components for the Rp 100 billion bridge were sourced from various suppliers, with the linchpins coming from Bakrie Tosanjaya, a metal-casting firm linked to the family of Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie.

On Wednesday, Priyo Suprobo, a structural engineer at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) in Surabaya, posited that the collapse began when one of the linchpins along the deck sheared because of uneven loading as a result of a sag in the deck, caused in turn by the shifting anchor blocks.

When the linchpin sheared, he said, it "caused shock loading that resulted in the other linchpins also shearing." Priyo said the theory was based on the discovery of a sheared linchpin thrown 50 meters from the bridge.

Ghost sightings spark scenes of hysteria in Indonesian capital

Jakarta Globe - December 2, 2011

The Jakarta city administration has moved with exceptional speed to cut down an old mahogany tree said to harbor two distinct forms of Indonesian ghosts.

The extraordinary turn of events has led the religious affairs minister to call on people not to be influenced by "mystical" stories and the National Police chief to appeal for calm.

The saga began when a pocong (shrouded corpse ghost) and kuntilanak (vampiric female ghost) revealed themselves to a child who reportedly made the mistake of relieving himself against the old tree in Roxy, Central Jakarta, on Nov. 26.

In the hysteria that has followed since, hundreds of people have begun visiting the tree with at least ten becoming possessed by spirits. Photographs and video purporting to be of both the pocong and kuntilanak are now circulating on the Internet.

Ferry Abdillah Kadir, a local official, told Detik.com that the sightings had drawn large crowds that had caused major traffic congestion. He said he had sent a letter of request to the Jakarta Park and Cemetery Agency to remove the tree.

Though the agency acted quickly and cut down the tree on Thursday, the spectacle is not over – speculation is mounting that the ghosts have simply moved to one of three neighboring mahogany trees, Detik.com reported. "Someone said the ghosts have moved to the other tree but we cannot cut down all the trees," Ferry said.

Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali said people should not be influenced by the reports. "These kinds of things [pocong and kuntilanak] cannot be seen with normal eyes, especially in the afternoon," Suryadharma said at the Presidential Palace. "Therefore, people should not believe in mysticism."

National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo also commented on the issue. "People should remain calm," Timur said. "The National Police have taken action. Thank you."

Activist's house raided after 'humiliating' anti-royal comments

Jakarta Globe - December 2, 2011

Yogyakarta – The home of high-profile Indonesian activist George Junus Aditjondro was raided by an enraged mob on Friday after the outspoken democracy campaigner made a pun about the Yogyakarta Palace, comparing it to a "watched monkey."

Dozens of people, accusing George of humiliating the royal Yogyakarta family and the people of the special province, raided his home in an attempt to expel him from the city. George, however, was not at home.

Members of the group placed banners over the windows and doors, which stated, "Keep your mouth shut George, if you don't like Yogyakarta and its Palace, please leave!!! Your mouth is your tiger."

One of the group even purchased George a bus ticket from Yogyakarta to Semarang, the provincial capital of Central Java.

During an academic discussion at Gadjah Mada University on Wednesday, George said people should not think of Yogyakarta as a kingdom. "The Yogyakarta Keraton (Palace) should not be equated with the UK kingdom," he said. "The Yogyakarta Keraton is only a keraton, or kera ditonton (Watched Monkey)."

Widihasto W. Putra, a local politicians, said George should admit his mistake and apologize to the Yogyakarta Palace and people. "Don't pretend to be stupid and deny saying those painful words," Widihasto said. "Yogyakarta people easily forgive, and an apology could heal the pain and anger of the people."

The group that raided George's home also reported the activist to police for unpleasant conduct and defamation.

Actions, demos, protests...

Street vendors reject KAI policy

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2011

Banyumas – Around 400 hawkers protested the decision of railway company PT KAI to ban them from operating inside trains, saying that the decision would foster unemployment.

"We are strongly protesting the decision because it is akin to them not caring about employment. We strive to earn a living for our families. We never caused any trouble with PT KAI," Topan, the spokesman of the Kroya Station Hawkers' Association (ASOKA), told the media on Tuesday.

He warned that PT KAI's decision was unpopular because it did not heed the welfare of the hawkers.

PT KAI issued a regulation in October banning street vendors from operating inside coaches, including those in economy class, in the hope of increasing the comfort of passengers.

The hawkers have filed their complaints to the legislative council as well as turning to the religious organization Nahdatul Ulama for support. Board leaders of NU Cilacap extended their support and suggested they bring the case to Jakarta.

Suminem, a hawker, said the ban was akin to banishing the livelihoods of hawkers. "Whatever happens, we will sell inside the coaches, because there we can earn a living. Hopefully, government officials will care for how we are suffering," she said.

Minister's promise not enough to move village chiefs from weeklong sit-in

Jakarta Globe - December 7, 2011

Arientha Primanita & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Despite a new promise from the home affairs minister to send a long-delayed bill on village governance to the legislature, village chiefs refused to end their sit-in protest until the president signed a mandate needed before a bill can be deliberated.

The bill is meant to regulate the system of villages nationwide and ensure "local community development" for each village. The legislation is also meant to boost welfare at the village level by ensuring that locally generated revenue goes back toward developing the community.

The purpose is to stem the flow of urbanization by improving living and economic conditions in villages and rural areas, thereby fostering more equitable economic development across the country.

Hundreds of members of the Nusantara Village People's Association (Parade Nusantara), who began protesting on Monday at the House of Representatives, have vowed to stay put for at least a week in an attempt to force the government to prioritize the bill.

They appealed to lawmakers on Monday to let them use one of the rooms in the legislative complex as they had no money for a hotel, but they ended up spending the night in front of the House building, sleeping on makeshift mats and newspapers. They resumed their protest on Tuesday.

Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi, speaking before a limited cabinet meeting on Tuesday, said the bill had been finalized at the cabinet level. "This week, I will ask the president to issue a mandate [Ampres]," he said, adding that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had agreed to it "in principle."

An Ampres is needed to formally submit the bill to the House. "Hopefully it is signed quickly and then we can send it to the House," he added.

Village chiefs are also pushing for the swift passage of the bill to give them civil servant status. Currently, only village secretaries are recognized as civil servants, which entitles them to benefits such as a pension.

However, village chiefs and officials other than secretaries receive a monthly stipend from regional budgets, which varies region by region. Most of those payments are well below the local minimum wage, and in most locations the stipends provided are only paid every three months.

Sudir Santoso, the chairman of Parade Nusantara, said association members no longer believed the government's promises.

"I do not believe even 5 percent of what Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi says. He's said this several times, but he's not consistent," he said. "The president is the same."

Sudir said his group would stay in Jakarta to keep pushing for the bill. "We will not go home until we have seen a copy of the Ampres, or there is confirmation from the House Legislative Body that the draft bill has reached the House of Representatives."

Pedicab drivers protest 'discrimination'

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2011

Medan – Hundreds of drivers of motor-powered tricycles, locally known as becak motor, staged a rally at the municipal office against what they claimed was discriminatory treatment by the Transportation Agency.

They said they had been barred from operating in certain areas, while other groups of drivers were seen "operating freely".

Syahrul Harahap, one of the protesters, said the agency's partisanship in favor of other drivers had raised their suspicions that agency officials were accepting kickbacks. "We have been complaining for a long time but only now have we made the issue public. We fear the confiscation of our pedicabs," Syahrul said.

Toga Aruan, an official at the Transportation Agency, said his office would consider the protesters' demand for being allowed to operate in certain areas. Legal regulations ban pedicabs from operating on Jl. Sudirman, Jl. Imam Bonjol, Jl. Diponegoro and Jl. WR Suprapto.

He denied accusations that officials had taken kickbacks for "allowing some pedicab drivers to operate in prohibited areas".

Thousands of village chiefs plan weeklong protest at DPR

Jakarta Globe - December 5, 2011

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Michelle Natalie – Thousands of village chiefs protesting at the House of Representatives say they won't leave for at least a week to force the government to prioritize the long-awaited Village Governance Bill, but where they will stay seems to be an issue.

"We will not leave Jakarta until the president signs the bill. Or alternatively, the House will have to take the initiative to process the Village Governance draft bill," said Sudir Santoso, chairman of the Nusantara Village People's Association (Parade Nusantara), on Monday.

The village chiefs are demonstrating in front of the House building, blocking parts of Jalan Gatot Subroto.

"We want to meet with the leader of the House and the leaders of the nine factions to seek support," Sudir added. "For factions that don't give any support to the bill, we will boycott them in the 2014 elections when they come to our villages."

However, he appealed to the House leaders to lend one of the rooms in the Senayan complex for them to stay in while they are in Jakarta. "We don't have any money to stay in a hotel. But the House building is the public's house, so please allow us to stay here," Sudir said.

The bill aims to improve welfare at the village level by, for instance, ensuring that the village benefits financially from natural resources found in it. It also proposes inreasing the number of village officials who are classified as civil servants.

After being dropped from discussion for re-drafting in 2009, the village bill was again submitted into the 2009-14 national legislation program. However, a new draft of the bill has not yet been submitted for discussion.

Deputy House speaker Priyo Budi Santoso told the protesters that he would immediately convey their request to government officials and political parties.

"We will send a second letter to the president, saying there is no reason to delay the Village Governance bill," Priyo said. "If it's still rejected, that is unacceptable. But I know the palace has good intentions, so I assure you that it won't be a waste of time to be here."

Home Affair Ministry spokesman Reydonnyzar Moenek told the Globe the bill was now in its final stages and on its way to the president.

Aceh

Three died, five injured in shooting in Aceh

Jakarta Globe - December 5, 2011

Nurdin Hasan – Three people died and five were injured during a shooting in Lhokseumawe, Aceh on Sunday.

"On Sunday at 11:30 p.m. at Satya Agung Sp. Keuramat in Mbang, Geureudong Pasee, North Aceh, there was a shooting of Satya Agung employees," Adj. Comr. Kukuh Santoso, the police chief of Lhokseumawe, said on Monday. "Three people died at the site and five people suffered gun wounds. They have been evacuated to Cut Meutia hospital in Lhokseumawe."

According to a witness, there were four to five perpetrators who wore face masks and walked onto the site. "The victims were shot when they were sitting in the office canteen while asking 'where are you from' and requesting identity cards," Kukuh said. "The investigation is still ongoing."

Police have collected evidence including seven bullets and nine bullet shells from a SS-1-M16 gun.

According to Beritasatu.com, the three people who died are Sugeng, Ratno and Heri. The injured victims at Cut Meutia hospital are Apan, Samin, Erik, Misman and Ari Fandi. It is not clear whether the attack was related to political unrest in the province.

The company, Satya Agung, has a tense relationship with people living near its plantation. Last year, police shot to death one local who was accused of stealing rubber latex from the plantation.

Local media, rakyataceh.com, reported that the company has taken over local plantations with very low compensation, Rp 25,000 ($2.75) per hectare. People living around the plantation have requested that the governor not prolong the business permit of the company.

There have been some attacks in Aceh recently believed to be linked to political conditions ahead of local elections.

Earlier this month, three civilians were injured in a grenade attack targeting Wisma Lamprit guesthouse in Aceh, just two days after a similar attack took place at the campaign headquarters of Aceh governor Irwandi Yusuf.

Aceh tensions rise ahead of polls

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2011

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – Political tensions in Aceh have begun to rise again with a grenade blast on Jl. Daud Beureueh, Lampriet, Banda Aceh, at around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, which slightly injured three civilians.

The grenade was tossed by an unidentified person onto the roadside in front of the representative mess office of the Coordinating Minister for Political, Law and Security Affairs. The office is not far from the campaign-team office of Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf, who will run in the gubernatorial election early next year.

The victims were identified as Ardeman, 20, of Lamgugop, Erliana, 22, and Erlya, 23, both of Lampulo, Banda Aceh. They sustained leg injuries and were immediately rushed to the Dr. Zainoel Abidin General Hospital in Banda Aceh.

Two days earlier, an unidentified person also threw a grenade at the same location. No casualties were reported in the previous incident.

Many fear that the attacks are closely linked to the current chaotic election process in Aceh.

On the eve of the gubernatorial race, political tensions intensified as incumbent Governor Irwandi Yusuf announced he would seek reelection for a second term, which had been prohibited under the 2006 Aceh Administration Law.

The law had said that independents could only run once to allow former Free Aceh Movement (GAM) fighters and politicians who had not yet joined a party to run in the 2006 election.

By request of Acehnese voters supporting Irwandi's reelection, the Constitutional Court annulled the bylaw limiting independents to the first direct election in 2006.

The gubernatorial election was initially scheduled for Nov. 14, 2011, but was rescheduled to amend the bylaw on local elections. The Aceh chapter of the General Election Commission later postponed the gubernatorial election again to early next year, but no date has been set.

On Thursday, the police were still conducting a thorough investigation of the incident, collecting evidence in the form of grenade fragments at the blast scene. "We found a grenade fuse, we believe the grenade to be of the 'pineapple'-type," Aceh Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. Gustav Leo said.

According to Leo, the police had no immediate suspects as they were still investigating the incident. "Obviously, we are still building the case. Just wait for the outcome," he said.

According to a sidewalk burger-vendor, Romi, the incident took place quite suddenly and without warning. He initially thought the explosion came from a power line near the location. "We immediately ducked when we saw sparks but two of my customers who were enjoying their meals sustained injuries," said Romi.

West Papua

Some Papuans skeptical about UP4B

Jakarta Post - December 8, 2011

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – The government's initiative to accelerate development in Papua and West Papua through the establishment of a special unit led by Bambang Darmono has met with resistance from some Papuans.

"Papuan people have rejected special autonomy status. Now they have offered UP4B. What on earth is that? We Papuan people reject UP4B. What we want is a referendum," Saul Bomay, former political prisoner, said during a meeting with an entourage from Jakarta in Jayapura on Wednesday.

The Unit for the Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua (UP4B) is part of the central government's policy of addressing the needs of the Papuan people.

As part of the government's efforts to further this initiative, a meeting was held on Wednesday, which was attended by representatives of Papuan social communities.

Present from Jakarta were Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi, Coordinating People's Welfare Minister Agung Laksono, National Police Chief Timur Pradopo and UP4B chairman Bambang Darmono.

Besides Bomay, those expressing resistances to UP4B were Hakim Pahabol of the National Committee for West Papua (KNPB) and Ones, a student representative.

"I represent the students. The solution to Papuan conflict is a referendum because Papera 1969 was illegitimate," Ones said, referring to a past referendum that saw the majority of Papuans opt to remain in Indonesia but which others saw as illegitimate.

Hakim Pahabol said that the basic problem in Papua was politics, not welfare. He said that before "Indonesian people came to Papua", Papuans had enough to eat and prospered. He added that Papuans suffered after "Indonesian people had come to Papua." "We want a referendum. Nothing else," he said.

Some local participants showed their support for the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), but they questioned why Papuan people were not better off in economic terms, given that special autonomy status had been imposed for 10 years.

"For me NKRI is unnegotiable. A solution is needed in terms of how special autonomy caters for the welfare of Papuans," said Izak Samuel Karubaba from the youth communication forum.

Fearing police, 500 villagers take refuge in Paniai

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2011

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – About 500 inhabitants of Dagouto village in Paniai Regency, Papua, have opted to leave their homes and seek refuge following the deployment of 150 Mobile Brigade officers to their area, Paniai tribe council chief John Gobai said Wednesday.

"Our people have become refugees at Uwatawogi Hall in Enarotali, Paniai, for several weeks. They are now afraid they may not be able to celebrate Christmas at home," John told reporters at the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM).

John, along with four other Paniai people, was at the commission to complain about the presence of police officers in the area, which they said "exacerbated the security situation."

The National Police has increased its numbers of personnel in the regency following several deadly shootings, reportedly claiming the lives of eight traditional miners working on the Degeuwo River, near Dagouto, last month. Later reports revised the number of victims to only one villager.

A former lawmaker who is also a Paniai patron, Ruben Gobai, said the situation in the Dagouto area had returned to normal, and that the presence of Mobile Police Brigade officers was unnecessary.

Komnas HAM commissioner Ridha Saleh said his team would ask National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo for clarification of the deployment of police personnel to the Dagouto area. "The government has repeatedly pledges not to use a security approach to address issues in Papua. But this may have been empty rhetoric," Ridha said.

Violence has been escalating in Papua since the Third Papuan People's Congress was held from Oct. 16-19 in Abepura, Jayapura, when police and military officers forcefully dispersed the event, seizing both organizers and participants of the congress, and shooting and injuring countless congress participants in what was largely described as a completely unnecessary display of police brutality and violence.

Numerous unidentified gunmen shooting civilians in Papua have been reported in the past two months, with dozens, including four police officers, being killed.

Papuans report national police chief to Human Rights Commission

Jakarta Globe - December 7, 2011

Agus Triyono – Papuans from the Paniai district on Wednesday reported National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) for deploying 140 brigade mobile police officers to their district.

Residents said troops have been in Paniai since Nov. 2, 2011. The troops have caused locals unrest by "sweeping" ordinary people while looking for Free Papua Organization (OPM) members. John NR Gobai, the Customary Council Head of Paniai, said that troops often took people's belongings forcefully during home searches.

"Moreover, with the reason of searching for OPM members that they accuse of stealing their guns, they shot ordinary people [Matias Tenouye]," John said after submitting the report to Komnas HAM. "He's just a gold digger, not member of OPM."

Ridha Saleh, a member of the commission, said that he would request an explanation from the National Police chief regarding the report. "We will ask for an explanation from him for the reason for deploying the troops," Ridha said. "It did not only happen in Paniai, but also in Freeport's area."

If the report is true, Ridha said the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs Djoko Suyanto and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono failed to fulfill their promises.

"The government has committed to solve the Papua problem with a peaceful approach, not violence," he said. "If these cases reported are true, it means they [Yudhonoyono and Djoko] failed [to keep their promises]. This shows that what they said could not be implemented in reality."

Amnesty urges Jakarta to respect human rights in Papua

ABC Radio Australia - December 7, 2011

Amnesty International is urging the Indonesian government to respect human rights when dealing with unrest in Papua.

Amnesty met with Indonesia's Minister for Law, Politics and Security, Djoko Suyanto, yesterday to try to secure the release of detained political prisoners. Amnesty says 90 people are currently locked up in Papua and Maluku for demonstrating and it calls on the Indonesian government to differentiate between violent and peaceful protest.

Presenter: Sen Lam

Speaker: Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's director for Asia-Pacific

Zarifi: The meeting was actually at the invitation of President Yudhoyono, who asked to meet with Amnesty International to discuss the situation in Papua obviously as a result of increasing international attention as well as rising tension within the province. It was a very open and frank discussion. We disagreed on several points, but I think important we agreed on the Indonesian government's stated commitment to respect and to improve respect for human rights and the rule of law in Papua. So in that regard we view it as a very important first step.

Lam: So Sam, run through for us the key issues, the key concerns that you raised with Mr Suyanto?

Zarifi: At the initial level and what was promising was an agreement from the Indonesian government with the notion of implementing the special autonomy law of 2001, which includes demands for economic as well as political development in Papua and the coordinating minister really articulated the government's very strong commitment to implementing that. Where we focused was... Amnesty raised really three points with the government, one was a request for the release of political prisoners, that is people who are in detention for non-violent activities, such as raising a flag. We also asked for accountability for violations of human rights in the province. There has been an increase in violence and including at the coordinating minister's admission some violations by security forces. We haven't really seen the proper and proportional disciplining for those. We've seen some administrative sanctions, for instance, imposed on police accused of use of excessive and in fact lethal force, so we really pushed for serious accountability. And finally we asked for the government to put in place some of the commitments it made in 2001 in Papua, including the creation of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a special human rights court to address the grievances of the Papuan people.

Lam: Well, I understand that Amnesty also brought to the attention of the minister its claim that 90 peaceful activists have been detained in Papua. What was the minister's response to this?

Zarifi: Just to clarify, it 90 political prisoners in Papua and Maluku and I think in fact most of them are in Maluku. This is very clear under international law, activities such as raising a flag or non-violently and peacefully advocating for reform, including calls for independence, cannot be the basis of detention. The minister took on board what we said, but he pointed out that under Indonesian law, such activity is criminal. I suppose it's best to say that we agreed to disagree. We pointed out that the criminal law in Indonesia as it stands violates Indonesia's commitments under the covenant of civil and political rights, which Indonesia has ratified and we left the list with the coordinating minister, along with our call that all those political prisoners be released at this point with 2012 coming up in Indonesia, there is really no justification for any political prisoners to be left in Indonesia. I think it's a matter of law, but simply as a matter of Indonesia's politics and international standing, the notion of having political prisoners in Indonesia is unacceptable.

Lam: And just briefly Sam Zarifi, as you say, the meeting was initiated by the Indonesian government. So do you think that while the political will is there at the centre in Jakarta, that this does not always necessarily translate to the military on the ground?

Zarifi: Well clearly, there does seem to be a new impetus in Jakarta for addressing the situation in Papua without resorting to military means. We really encourage that. I think the examples set in Aceh has been promising and I think that is very much in the Indonesian government's mind. We've requested that improvements in human rights be part of the benchmarks for this non-military approach. We're convinced that this will work better, more quickly and more efficiently than any military response and we were encouraged by the coordinating minister's commitment that they would move away from a military response right now.

Another death as Papua suffers through a bloody year

Jakarta Globe - December 6, 2011

Farouk Arnaz – Police officer Ridwan Napitupulu died on Monday morning, nearly four days after he was wounded during an attack in Jayapura, the capital of Papua.

Ridwan's death brings the total number of police officers killed this year in Papua to five, a painful reminder that violence is on the rise in the restive province.

First Brig. Ridwan and another officer, Second Brig. Dian Budi Santoso, were out on patrol for signs of the banned Morning Star independence flag in the early hours of Thursday, the 50th anniversary of the declaration of an independent West Papuan state.

As the two officers made their way through the city, they were attacked with bows and arrows. Budi escaped, but the attackers caught Ridwan and beat him.

On Monday, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said Ridwan died from his injures at 12.35 a.m. and that his remains had been transported to his hometown, Medan, on Monday afternoon.

Ridwan's death comes after two members of the police's Mobile Brigade (Brimob), First Brig. Feriyanto Kaluku and First Brig. Eko Afriansyah, were shot and killed on Saturday when assailants opened fire on a police patrol in the Puncak Jaya highlands of central Papua. An exchange of fire between the police and the attackers lasted about 30 minutes. Another officer was wounded in the attack.

National Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo said all three dead officers would receive posthumous promotions in honor of their service. Police spokesman Saud said that Ridwan's death symbolized the escalating violence in Papua.

In 2009, one police officer died and 12 more were wounded in a series of shootouts in the province between the police and suspected members of the armed Free Papua Organization (OPM). Last year, 64 police officers were wounded, but none died.

Saud said that investigating the shootings had been close to impossible. "There are virtually no witnesses and evidence is scarce," he said.

In October, the chief of the Mulia city police, Dominggus Awes, was killed at an airport in Puncak Jaya district. Two men attacked him, grabbed his gun and shot him with it. He died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

Mulia was also the scene of another attack in June, when First Brig. Muhammad Yasin died after a group of men stole his handgun and shot him with it.

Suspected separatist militias are also believed to have been behind the deaths of four soldiers in Papua this year.

In July, First Pvt. Lukas Yahya Kafiar was shot in the head and died instantly after a group of armed men ambushed a routine military patrol in Puncak Jaya.

In August, First Pvt. Dominikus Kerapwas was among three people who were killed in an early morning ambush on public minivans in Nafri village, near the Papua capital. The assailants reportedly blocked vehicles passing by the location, and then attacked the drivers and passengers using a variety of weapons, including an ax and a gun.

That same month, First Pvt. Fana Suhandi, a member of the 753 Battalion, died after being shot in Puncak Jaya. Fana had been guarding a military post in Tingginambut subdistrict when he was killed instantly after being shot in the chest. The helicopter used to transport his body was also shot at en route from the Puncak Jaya capital, Mulia, to Wamena in Jayawijaya district.

Just weeks later, Capt. Tasman, from the Cenderawasih XVII Military Regional Command, was stabbed to death on his way to work. The attack took place near a housing complex on Jalan Baru in Heram, Jayapura.

Papua Police Chief Insp. Gen. Bigman Lumban Tobing said the police were still investigating how rebel groups had been obtaining their arms.

"So far there is no indication that police officers or military soldiers are involved in supplying weapons to armed groups," he said, as quoted by state-run news agency Antara. "Generally the situation in Papua is under control. Hopefully there will be no more disturbances for the rest of the year."

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Wachyono said the police would start conducing raids for illicit firearms. "They obtain their weapons by stealing them from the police or military because right now we don't have a lot of smuggled arms," he said. "The police will increase operations to look for illegal arms in Papua from the air, sea and land."

Police urged to review security operations in Papua

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2011

Jakarta – A police officer who was assaulted by villagers in Papua died after being treated in hospital, the police said Monday, two days after two other officers were shot dead by unknown gunmen.

The National Police confirmed that Second Brig. Ridwan Napitupulu died after suffering injuries when he was stopped and assaulted while on his way to Nimbokran district, Jayapura.

"[Ridwan] passed away because of wounds sustained earlier this morning," Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli said on Monday.

The assault that led to Ridwan's death was the fourth deadly act involving police officers deployed in the restive region of Papua over the last two months.

Unidentified gunmen shot and killed Second Brig. Ferianto Kaluku and Second Brig. Eko Afriansyah on Saturday; two members of a National Police Mobile Brigade special operations unit (Brimob) in Wondegobak village, Puncak Jaya.

On Oct. 24, Mulia Police chief Comr. Dominggus Oktavianus Awes was shot dead with his own firearm after two unidentified persons assaulted him and took his pistol at Mulia airport.

Andy Denny Manoby, the secretary of the Papua Customary Council (DAP), told The Jakarta Post on Monday that the attacks aimed at officers deployed in Papua might indicate local resentment toward police and Indonesian Military (TNI) officers, saying that the police and TNI "frequently treated Papuans as if they were animals".

"The TNI and police have instilled the feeling of resentment in Papuans, especially locals who live in remote areas, such as in Papua's mountains and forests," Andy said.

The Papua-born activist explained that Papuans harbor bitter feelings and were "unsympathetic" toward police officers who conducted security operations in their areas, especially the Brimob special police operations unit, because they often used repressive methods while on duty.

The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) held a meeting on Monday with top police brass at police headquarters in Jakarta to discuss the commission's findings, suggesting the police review its security operations in the conflict-ridden region.

Kontras coordinator Haris Azhar told reporters that the recent string of assaults was specifically aimed at police officers deployed in Papua and was suspected of being acts of vengeance in retaliation for the police's alleged "biased" law-enforcement activities in the resource-rich region.

"We found many examples of a lack of professionalism shown by police officers who applied violence and unfair treatment against civilians in Papua."

"There were several instances of inappropriate conduct carried out by police officers [against Papuans]. We also convey our disappointment over several issues where investigative progress was considered unsatisfactory," Haris said.

John Gobai, a DAP representative in Paniai district, Papua, said that the increasing number of Brimob personnel deployed in Papua would only lead to more conflict because officers frequently used repressive measures during security operations.

"In Paniai, Brimob is identical to violence. If there is a small incident, Brimob prefers to use violence by beating locals." John urged the police to withdraw officers from Papua, arguing that it would only cause the government-Papua dialogue to be less effective.

Amid calls to review its security operations in Papua, however, the police insisted the security operations were justified and said that they would not withdraw officers in the region. "We will uphold security there and defend [Papua], as it is still part of Indonesia," police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said. (sat)

West Papua rising

New Matlida - December 6, 2011

Last week thousands of Papuans rallied to mark the 50th anniversary of the first raising of the Morning Star flag. Alex Rayfield reports on a growing sense of defiance across the province

The raising of the banned Morning Star flag across West Papua on December 1 made two things abundantly clear: political defiance in West Papua is growing and the Indonesian Government is losing control.

Despite fears that they would be shot if they raised the flag, the Morning Star was raised in Jayapura, Sentani, Manokwari, Sorong, Merauke, Timika, Puncak Jaya, Paniai, Genyem, Wamena and inside Indonesia in Jogjakarta and Jakarta.

In many places the security forces allowed the protests to continue – video footage shows Indonesian police driving as crowds of protesters wave the flag and shout "freedom" – but in Timika the Indonesian military did open fire on unarmed crowds. Four people were wounded (two men and two women). Two of the victims are in critical condition in hospital.

In another part of the country a Papuan shot an Indonesian policeman with a bow and arrow. In Puncak Jaya and Paniai in the remote highlands the two Papuan Liberation Army commanders engaged the Indonesian military and police in fire fights, killing two members of the Indonesian Paramilitary Police (Brimob) in Puncak Jaya and sabotaging bridges and burning government posts in Paniai.

However, most other December 1 rallies were peaceful. Members of the West Papua National Committee, Papuan Peace Network and Congress members marched together holding banners like "Stop committing human rights violations in Papua", "Independence yes, NKRI no" (NKRI stands for the Unitary Republic of Indonesia) and "Federal republic West Papua".

At many of the demonstrations, the Declaration of Independence was read again – this is the same statement that precipitated fatal shooting by police and military last month when it was read out at the Third Papuan People's Congress.

The killing of peaceful Papuan protesters at the Congress last month – relayed by phone, Facebook, YouTube and mailing lists – has outraged Papuans, leading more to support independence. It has divided political elites inside Indonesia, attracted more third party support for the West Papuan cause, and revealed the ugly face of Indonesian colonial rule in West Papua. It has widened the circle of dissent and tipped the political scale in the Papuans' favour.

In Sorong, for example, even Papuan government civil servants and the retired military members joined the December 1 rally, prompting one local organiser to remark that "this really different from previously which always attended by the community".

The Indonesian government may still have a ban on foreign media in West Papua but when people can send SMS news reports in seconds and photos and film in a matter of hours, a ban on media also loses its impact.

As one of the key local organisers for West Papua Media told New Matilda: "The media network across Papua is like a spider web. Now when there is an incident we can quickly get reports across the country and out to the world."

"The mainstream media in Papua is owned by Indonesians. They publish things that terrify the Papuan community," the same source said. "So our most powerful weapon has become our independent media network."

Technically, of course, the Indonesian government is still in control. Jakarta still makes the political decisions and the police and security forces have the capability and personnel to crush any rebellion – armed or nonviolent. But they have lost moral authority. Papuans are no longer willing to go along with the status quo. The mood is angry, defiant and uncooperative.

Senior tribal elders and young people who were shot at last month have decided not to give in to fear. Instead, they went back out onto the streets. A big contributor to this courage has been the leadership of the Congress leaders in prison. In an exclusive interview with New Matilda last week, Forkorus Yaboisembut, the 72-year-old President-elect of the 'Federal Republic of West Papua', encouraged Papuans to mark the day peacefully.

These recent events and the attention they received have created a dilemma for the Indonesian Government. Essentially they now have two choices: more repression, or political dialogue. More repression will only increase support for independence and further erode Indonesia's standing.

If the government does nothing or does not come up with a credible plan for political dialogue they can expect support for independence to grow. The Indonesian government recently announced they would fast track economic development in West Papua. But this won't cut it. The Papuans are asking for political freedom, not more money.

Papuans I spoke to want to be genuine participants in a political process, not objects of policy, and they have lost faith with their own political class who are increasingly viewed as corrupt and unwilling to stand up to Jakarta. They are disgusted that police who shoot dead unarmed Papuans and beat tribal elders receive only a warning.

As Papuans return to their homes after 1 December many fear that the Indonesian police and military will return to the practice of targeted repression and that organisers and participants will be hunted down, one by one, community by community.

West Papua may not be free, but Indonesia lost the loyalty of Papuans a long time ago. Now, they are speaking out like never before.

Papuan village torched in unrest

ABC News - December 5, 2011

Brigid Andersen – Reports from West Papua claim Indonesian anti-terrorist police have torched a remote village in the Papuan highlands amid clashes with guerrilla rebels in the region.

Activists say civilians have fled into the jungle in response to the unrest and there are now grave fears for their safety.

Media is strictly controlled in the region, making reports hard to verify, but it is claimed that Indonesia's Gegana Brimob police unit attacked the village of Wandenggoback, in the Papuan highlands, in response to the shooting deaths of two police officers on December 3.

The two Indonesian police were reportedly killed earlier in the day during an offensive launched by the militant Free Papua Movement (OPM) and the anti-terrorist brigade responded by setting fire to schools, a church and houses in the village.

Reverend Benny Giay from the Papuan Christian Church in the province's capital, Jayapura, says he has spoken to school teachers and young people who are among those who fled Wandenggoback.

"The police mobile brigade burned the church, schools and houses of the people and people have fled to the bush. They've become local refugees," he said. "It is in response, according to the military and the government sources here, to the two police who were shot."

Hiding

He says there are concerns for the safety of the villagers who have fled and are now hiding out in the rugged highlands.

"Some have run to a neighbouring district. Some we think they are in the bush and we are worried that they may get sick and even die out of starvation," he said.

"What we are worrying about is that [the Brimob] have been doing this, they've been terrorising people, people are fleeing the villages and people are dying in the bush out of sickness. We are worried that this will continue to be the military's [tactic] to kill Papuans off."

Mr Giay says Indonesian authorities have blamed OPM guerrillas for the death of the two police officers, but he says that claim needs to be investigated.

"We are saying as a church to make sure, if the government allows human rights NGOs to go there and do an investigation so we can find out who made the shootings which killed two policemen," he said.

Security crackdown

On December 1 West Papuans marked 50 years since the province declared independence from Indonesia. Rallies were held in many areas and the province's banned morning star flag was raised.

Nick Chesterfield, editor of West Papua Media, says they are getting reports from villages around Wandenggoback of a security crackdown in response to the independence ceremonies.

"The reports that we're getting at the moment are that Indonesian security forces have been rampaging in areas near Nulia and that people are fleeing to the hills in the area," he said.

"The district of Pagalome is now quote 'empty of humans as all have fled'. We've got a lot of difficulty getting strong verification up there because it's been reported to us that troops are controlling all the roads out and any places that you can get a phone signal."

Mr Chesterfield says as many as several thousand civilians could now be hiding out in the jungle. "There have been instances in the past where up to 10,000 people have hidden out in the mountains for up to three months," he said.

But he says there is little food and shelter for those who have fled. "There's not much cover in the highlands. Where people will be fleeing is to the mountain peaks," he said.

"This is the monsoon time, so the the nights are a little warmer but the conditions are atrocious. People have no ability to grow food up in the mountains, they have fled with whatever they can carry so there are grave fears."

Following developments

Indonesia's anti-terrorist police receive training and funding from the Australian Government. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it seeking to verify the reports from Wandenggobak.

"The Australian Government deplores violence in all its forms. The Australian Embassy in Jakarta follows closely developments in Indonesia's Papua provinces and is seeking to verify reports of incidents around Wandenggobak in the Papuan highlands," the Department said in a statement.

"Australia continues to urge Indonesia to investigate thoroughly any allegations of human rights abuses and to hold perpetrators to account and welcomes president Yudhoyono's commitment on November 19 to take legal action against any security forces personnel who commit human rights abuses. The Australian Government does not train or fund Indonesia's security forces to counter separatism."

West Papua has seen several instances of unrest in the past few months, with Indonesian military and police blamed for killing three activists in August and arresting hundreds more. Shots were fired and a number of West Papuans were also arrested during independence ceremonies on December 1.

After police deaths, regent asks who is supplying the bullets

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2011

Jakarta – The regent of Puncak Jaya wants to know who is supplying civilian groups with bullets in the wake of the fatal shootings of two police officers in the regency on Saturday.

Unidentified gunmen shot and killed two members of a National Police Mobile Brigade special operations unit in Wondegobak village, Puncak Jaya on Saturday: Second Brig. Ferianto Kaluku and Second Brig. Eko Afriansyah.

The bodies of the deceased have been flown to their hometowns, while a third officer injured in the shooting, First Brig. Syukur, has been taken to Bhayangkara Hospital in Jayapura.

The shootings led Puncak Jaya regent Lukas Enembe to question the source of the ammunition used by a local armed civilian group. "They seized the weapons [from officials], but never run out of ammunition and bullets. The group can attack and disrupt residents with gunshots. Their bullets seem to be continuously flowing. Where do they get the bullets?" Lukas said, as quoted by Antara news agency.

Lukas said that the authorities should investigate the source of the group's ammunition to cut its supply.

Flight services and other access to Mulia should be monitored if the group was receiving bullets from Jayapura, he added. "Whatever the source of the bullets, the military, the police and the society must stop it and reveal it," Lukas said.

Relevant stakeholders should also observe the situation carefully, Lukas said, and disband all illegal or unofficial mass organizations in Papua that may be connected to the armed civilian group.

Tensions have been high in the province since the third Papuan People's Congress was held from Oct. 16 to 19 in Abepura, Jayapura, when seven people died in three fatal incidents.

Additional Mobile Brigade officers have since been dispatched to the province. Efforts to start peace talks have begun but have yet to yield progress.

On Dec. 1, Papuans commemorated the 50th anniversary of what some called the "independence of West Papua" in virtually every regency in Papua and West Papua. Most of the events were marked by prayers of thanksgiving.

However, the anniversary also witnessed several violent incidents including an attack on a Jayapura Police officer, Second Brig. Ridwan Napitupulu, by unidentified assailants as police stormed a ceremony where the illegal "Morning Star" flag of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) was raised in Berap village in Nimbokran, Jayapura, on Thursday.

The police also took down Morning Star flags raised in Wamena, Jayawijaya and Timika on the day of the anniversary.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto said he regretted the assault by the armed civilian group against the police, who were evacuating people who had contracted malaria in Mulia district, Papua. "All stakeholders should act to end the violence," Djoko said on Saturday.

Lukas said that the group in Puncak Jaya had 60 guns and would continue to attack near its strongholds of Puncak Jaya and Mimika unless all networks connected to it were disbanded.

The Associated Press reported that security forces said hundreds of troops were deployed to Puncak Jaya after the deaths of the two officers on Saturday.

Policeman dies after attack in Papua

Antara News - December 5, 2011

A member of the Jayapura police who was attacked by an unidentified group in Jayapura, Papua, died on Monday morning.

Second Brig. Ridwan Napitupulu suffered face and stomach injuries after being attacked by arrows on Thursday night. He had been hospitalized for four days in Jayapura and underwent jaw surgery.

"Ridwan's remains will be taken to Medan from Jayapura this afternoon on a Garuda airplane," Sr. Comr. Boy Rafli Amar, the National Police spokesman, said on Monday.

Ridwan was with police chief Brig. Dian Budi when a group assaulted them on Thursday in Demta subdistrict.

They were patrolling after receiving reports from local people about a plan to raise the Morning Star flag. Dian managed to escape to the river, but Ridwan was stopped and abused.

Police moved quickly and arrested the alleged perpetrators. "Regarding the abuse, police have detained three suspects, Thomas Tarko, Yonathan Tarko and Jhon Calvin Tarko," Boy said.

Police, activists dispute blame for Papua attack that killed 2 officers

Jakarta Globe - December 5, 2011

Banjir Ambarita & Ulma Haryanto – The temperature in the restive province of Papua rose again after an armed attack over the weekend left two police officers dead and prompted villagers to flee as more security troops were deployed.

National Police spokesman Maj. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution told Agence France-Presse that hundreds of troops had been deployed in the separatist stronghold of the Puncak Jaya highlands since the attack on Saturday.

Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Wachyono said that an unidentified armed group had first opened fire at the officers, who were evacuating colleagues stricken with malaria.

"There was an exchange of fire for about 30 minutes between police and the attackers, whom we are still chasing," he said, adding that the perpetrators were believed to be members of the separatist Free Papua Organization (OPM). "Two policemen died after being shot in the head, and another was injured in the thigh," he said.

The bodies of the victims, both with the Mobile Brigade (Bri mob), were flown back to their families in Jakarta and Makassar – The injured officer was evacuated to the provincial capital of Jayapura.

Rev. Socratez Sofyan Yoman, a Papuan religious leader, cautioned against a large-scale police response that could hurt civilians. "This will lead to a wild chase by the officers, sweeps and raids in villages," he said. "People will have to flee because they are afraid and intimidated."

Jules K, a local resident, said that after the shooting on Saturday, a church and several houses at Wandengg obak village were burned down by Brimob officers.

"The burning of houses and honais [traditional homes] happened at 3:30 p.m., just a few minutes after the shooting," he said. "A church was also burned." He also said that following Saturday's incident, most of the villagers in the district were seeking refuge in other villages.

Ridha Saleh, deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), echoed Socratez's concerns and urged the police not to act in "blind rage."

"The police should not be reckless or foolhardy. They must not act blindly, which can cause more casualties of regular people than perpetrators," he said. Socratez said such armed attacks, if they were in fact the work of OPM, were hurting the chances that a long-demanded dialogue between the Indonesian government and the Papuan people would take place.

"These provocations stigmatize Papuans as violent people. And this will reduce our chances of establishing a peaceful dialogue," he said.

Both Socratez and Ridha, however, said the police should not immediately blame OPM for the attacks. "It is rather silly to think that a group of civilians can arm themselves and become skillful shooters just like that," Socratez said.

"To me, the Papuan people have long been live target practice for military officers. So when they blame the shootings on OPM, it's kind of hard to believe. If they accuse OPM, then they are accusing the OPM that has been coached by military officers, not the true OPM. The true OPM are pursuing peaceful methods through dignified dialogue."

Ridha said that based on Komnas HAM's investigation, local authorities' accusations against OPM have not been proven. "We can't point our fingers," he said. "It's true that the police need to do their job but they have to engage in a dialogue."

Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, deplored the ambush by the armed groups against police officers. "All parties must cease this violence," Djoko was quoted as saying by Antara.

Fresh Puncak Papua political feud clashes kill three

Jakarta Globe - December 5, 2011

Banjir Ambarita & Ulma Haryanto – Fighting in the violence-wracked district of Puncak Papua resulted in three deaths on Saturday, bringing the death toll from a long-simmering political feud there to 30.

Sr. Comr. Wachyono, the Papua Police spokesman, said on Sunday that those killed over the weekend were supporters of Simon Alom, who led the transitional administration during the establishment of the district.

"The three people who died were [supporters of] Simon Alom, and they have already been cremated according to local customs," Wachyono said. The victims were identified as Endiles Waker, 26, Yelinus Murib, 30, and Edison Murib, 40.

Wachyono said the clash broke out at 6 a.m. and was triggered by calls for the acting district head, Decky Wambrauw, to step down. "The tribal war was triggered by the demand for Decky's tenure to not be extended, and for him to be replaced," he explained. "However, there was no response so a brawl ensued."

Wachyono added that Decky was deemed to be partisan and critics wanted him removed ahead of a planned district head election.

Supporters of Elvis Tabuni, the speaker of the Puncak Papua legislative council, and supporters of Simon have been engaged in running clashes since July over an election dispute. Thirteen people were killed in the initial clash, and the others died in the sporadic outbreaks of violence that have followed.

Both Elvis and Simon are eyeing the district head post in an upcoming election and both also claimed to have received the backing from the Great Indonesian Movement Party (Gerindra).

Elvis used a letter of recommendation from the local branch of Gerindra while Simon registered using a recommendation from Gerindra's central board in Jakarta.

According to Wachyono, police tried to prevent future clashes by dispatching riot police and Mobile Brigade (Brimob) officers to the district.

"Right now we're trying to mediate between both sides and our officers are investigating the scene of the latest clash," he said, adding that police were working with the provincial administration to handle the dispute between the rival groups.

"In fact, both sides expressed their readiness to hold a peaceful local election, but then a clash broke out again."

Siti Zuhro, a regional autonomy expert from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), told the Jakarta Globe that given the history of tribal- based violence in Papua, both the central government and the General Elections Commission (KPU) should pay more attention to elections in the province, particularly in newly established administrative regions such as Puncak Papua.

"The whole chain of deaths could actually have been prevented from the beginning if the KPUD [regional KPU] had been strict about who the official candidates were," she said.

Regional elections are prone to dispute and clashes, she said, and could cause widespread conflicts if the KPUD could not prove its independence.

"KPUD as the poll organizer also should have been clear from the beginning that they were responsible, and that they were not partisan," Siti said.

Suhardi, Gerindra's national chairman, also blamed the KPUD for not responding swiftly to the dispute between the rival groups. "During the verification period, the KPUD could easily have verified the validity of the candidates by contacting us directly."

Academic condemns lack of NZ coverage of West Papua crisis

Pacific Media Watch - December 4, 2011

Adelaide – A media academic specialising in Asia-Pacific affairs condemned New Zealand news coverage on West Papua and other Melanesian issues at a journalism education conference in Australia this week.

Professor David Robie, director of AUT University's Pacific Media Centre presented a paper called "Creative Commons and a Pacific media 'hub'" in which he offered four recent case studies, including a scathing criticism of NZ media coverage about the Freeport mine strike and brutal crushing of a peaceful Papuan People's Congress by Indonesian security forces with the loss of up to six lives in October.

"The barriers to free reporting are perhaps a contributing factor to the almost negligible reporting in New Zealand news media of West Papuan issues, apart from occasional snippets about the Freeport mine," he said at the annual Journalism Education Association of Australia (JEAA) conference in Adelaide.

"A major exception has been Radio New Zealand International, which with very limited resources compared with its Radio Australia cousins, doggedly provides coverage on the legacy of armed struggle in West Papua and Bougainville.

"A major problem is that for the international community the issue of West Papua is 'settled' and it is accepted as being an internal problem for the Indonesian authorities rather than an issue of 'decolonisation'.

Although the so-called 1969 Act of Free Choice had been a "stage-managed sham" by Indonesia after it had invaded the former Netherlands colony bordering Papua New Guinea and was widely condemned as the "Act of No Choice", most media in Australia, NZ and the Pacific currently virtually ignored the issue, he said.

It was left to international news media agencies to report on developments in West Papua – often from at a distance and their reports failed to gain much traction in the media of the region.

'Shameful' reporting

"It is shameful that the NZ and regional news media fail to cover the ongoing human rights atrocities and disturbances with the seriousness they deserve," he said "The ongoing West Papua crisis is a greater threat to Pacific security than the Fiji issue."

In a content analysis of a two-week period between the start of the military crackdown on October 19 until November 2, 2011, it was found that Pacific Scoop published 66 percent of the total of 99 news stories carried by main NZ news media websites about the West Papua crisis.

Pacific Journalism Review published a media freedom report by Dr Robie and Pacific Media Watch contributing editor Alex Perrottet in the October edition which strongly covered West Papuan media issues.

Indonesia cracks down on separatists in Papua

Associated Press - December 4, 2011

Jayapura – Security forces say they are hunting separatist rebels in Indonesia's restive Papua province after two police were killed in an attack.

National Police spokesman Maj. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution says hundreds of troops have been deployed in the separatist stronghold of Puncak Jaya since the attack Saturday on paramilitary police.

Last month, two suspected rebels grabbed a gun from a police chief at an airport in Puncak Jaya and shot him dead.

Papua, a former Dutch colony in the western part of New Guinea, was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a UN-sponsored ballot. A small, poorly armed separatist group known as the Free Papua Movement has battled for independence since then.

Two police officers killed in Papua

Agence France Presse - December 3, 2011

Two Indonesian policemen were shot dead on Saturday in the latest deadly attack in eastern Indonesia's restive Papua province, police said.

Provincial police spokesman Wachyono said that an unidentified armed group opened fire at paramilitary police in Puncak Jaya highland in central Papua.

"There had been an exchange of fire for about 30 minutes between police and the attackers," he said. "We are still chasing the attackers. "Two policemen died after being shot in the head and another was injured in the thigh, he said.

In October Indonesia sent 260 paramilitary reinforcements to the highland, a known hub for Papuan separatists, after a local police chief was shot dead by a group of attackers.

Papuans, mostly ethnic Melanesians, have rejected their special autonomy status within Indonesia and poorly armed separatist groups have fought a low-level insurgency.

Indonesia is accused of torture and other gross human rights abuses in Papua at the hands of the police and military. Jakarta denies the allegations but refuses to allow foreign media or aid workers into the region to conduct independent inquiries.

Freedom campaigner flies the flag

Oxford Times - December 3, 2011

Laura Jones – Freedom campaigner Benny Wenda raised the West Papua flag with Lord Mayor of Oxford Elise Benjamin to call for independence.

The Oxford resident called for West Papua to break away from Indonesia, on the 50th annual West Papua Independence Day.

Mr Wenda joined supporters in London on Thursday to call for the arrest of the Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and the Indonesian ambassador in London, Yuri Thamrin.

He brandished a "red notice" warrant for their arrest – reflecting a real Interpol red notice out for his own arrest. The Marston Road resident denies attacking a police station in Indonesian Papua, also known as West Papua, on December 7, 2000.

He told the Oxford Mail: "We handed over the letter to the embassy regarding the arrest of the Indonesian president and the ambassador. The day went really well, it was really, really good with lots of supporters – 35 people.

After handing over the letter the group joined a demo by the London Mining Network, an alliance of human rights, development and environmental groups.

Mr Wenda added: "There is a really big focus on West Papua at the moment. From West Papua we heard that people were celebrating. But in one place where they raised the Morning Star flag we were told four people were arrested and are now being questioned."

The dad-of-six claims the red notice shows he is being targeted by the Indonesian authorities because of his political campaigning for the freedom of West Papua, including rallies in Oxford.

A Home Office spokesman said it was not the department's policy to confirm or deny receipt of extradition requests. Mr Wenda has successfully claimed political asylum in the UK, making it difficult for the British Government to force him to return to Indonesia.

Four Papuans questioned over flag-raising

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2011

Nethy Dharma Somba and Nani Afrida, Jayapura/Jakarta – The Jayapura Police have questioned four Papuan people in connection with the separatist flag- raising ceremony during the "West Papua Independence Day" anniversary celebration on Dec. 1 in Timika.

The four were identified as Larius Dolame, Nurbertus Timang, Marel Magai, Eli Maiseni and Marinus Pigai.

According to the head of the Pegunungan Tengah Papua Indonesian Students Association Markus Haluk, six people sustained gunshot wounds during the incident at the Indah Field in Timika. They are currently being treated at Caritas Hospital in Timika, Markus claimed. Papua Police spokesman Sr. Comr.

Wachyono, however, denied the incident ever occurred. "No one was shot, whereas, in fact, five of our men were wounded in the incident," he said Friday.

Police have also named three suspects in connection with the assault on Jayapura Police member Second Brig. Ridwan Napitupulu in Berap village, Nimbokrang district, Jayapura regency, Papua, on Thursday. The three were named suspects after police examined seven people.

"They are identified as Thomas Tarko, Yonathan Tarko and John Calvin Tarko," Papua Police chief Insp. Gen. Bigman Lumban Tobing told the media in Jayapura.

The three suspects are charged with violating the Criminal Code by comitting violence against members of a state institution, a charge which carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison.

In Jakarta, however, National Police chief Gen. Timur Pradopo revealed Friday that the police had arrested four men. "Four people have been arrested," Timur said before attending a plenary Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta.

"Thank God my men are safe. We are now seeking other suspects. We will wait for the results," Timur said. "Ridwan is currently recuperating at Jayapura Bhayangkara Police Hospital," said hospital head Adj. Sr. Comr. dr. Ubaidillah.

Doctors removed an arrow from Ridwan's right thigh, and were preparing him for surgery to install a pin in his broken jaw bone.

Chief of National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Army Lt. Gen. Marciano Norman told reporters that commemorations of the OPM anniversary in Papua on Thursday were still under control.

"People were afraid of bad things taking place, but nothing happened. This means there was good cooperation between security, intelligence officers and people in Papua," Marciano said.

Authorities deny targeting students from Papua in security operations

Jakarta Globe - December 2, 2011

Djoko Suyanto, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, has denied reports that security forces conducted sweeps against Papuan students across the country ahead of the 50th anniversary of the declaration of West Papua that fell on Thursday.

"I am clarifying that there has been no such policy or actions," Djoko told a news conference. He said that if there were any Papuan students who felt they were victim of such sweep operations, they should report it to him or Police Chief Gen. Timur Pradopo.

Military and police personnel, he said "cannot conduct sweeps." He said only the city or district law and order units (Satpol PP) had the authority do so. "If there are personnel at one location, do not immediately think that they are there to conduct a raid," he added.

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Baharudin Djafar also denied reports that authorities had raided a Papua student dormitory in Jalan Tebet Dalam, South Jakarta, on Nov. 11.

"There was no such raid. There was a check by the local urban ward authorities who had received complaints from residents around there and were called on to conduct a check," Baharudin said. He said that the presence of soldiers was only to accompany the officials "to prevent unwanted things from taking place."

Rights group Kontras has criticized the security forces for raiding dormitories in Jakarta and Bali. It cited witnesses as saying that security personnel broke down the doors by force to enter the dormitory in Jakarta.

Nur Kholis, deputy chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), said in Bali that the government, especially security forces in Papua, was not yet committed to dialogue to settle problems there.

"This commitment [to dialogue] is not yet understood by the security forces," Nur Kholis said, adding that his organization would push for the security forces to partake in dialogue.

In July, a peace conference attended by Djoko seemed to herald tentative progress toward peaceful resolution of Papua's problems, but state- sanctioned violence has since marred any improvement.

'President' calls for recognition of West Papua

Sydney Morning Herald - December 2, 2011

Tom Allard, Jakarta – The man anointed as the leader of an independent West Papua, Forkorus Yaboisembut, says democratic countries that espouse human rights are hypocrites if they do not support the region's desire for self-determination.

Speaking by telephone from his prison cell in Jayapura, Mr Yaboisembut was unflagging in his optimism that West Papua will be independent from Indonesia one day, even though not one state in the world supports his aspirations.

He spoke as thousands of West Papuans in the troubled region yesterday commemorated the 50th anniversary of the first declaration of West Papuan "independence".

While there were fears of widespread violence, the occasion was relatively peaceful, except for the violent dispersal of a rally in Timika and an early-morning fracas between police and separatists near Jayapura – One policeman was killed and another badly injured, with arrow wounds.

According to Papuan student leader Markus Haluk, four people – two men and two women – were shot at the Timika rally and taken to hospital after the gathering was dispersed.

Mr Yaboisembut was proclaimed president of the "Federal Republic of West Papua" at the Third Papuan People's Congress, a gathering of indigenous Papuan delegates, on October 19. Within two hours of being anointed, he was beaten and arrested in a crackdown that left six people dead.

"I call on all nations that love democracy and human rights and respect international law to recognise the Papuan nation," Mr Yaboisembut told The Age.

"All speeches made by world leaders about democracy and human rights are empty speeches because they allow the discrimination to take place against Papua in Papua."

West Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a highly controversial plebiscite involving about 1000 hand-picked tribal leaders.

The economic benefits from the resource-rich region have largely flowed to Jakarta, foreign corporations or migrants from other parts of Indonesia, creating further antagonism.

"The Papuan people have been marginalised, discriminated against," Mr Yaboisembut said. "We have become minority in our own land. We are going to extinction."

Asked about his own legitimacy given he was proclaimed president by a meeting of 1000 or so delegates, Mr Yaboisembut pointed to his role as chairman of the Papuan Customary Council since 2007. "We applied the tribal mechanism," he said.

Facing up to 20 years in prison for treason, Mr Yaboisembut's future looks grim but he maintains West Papua will be free.

A declaration by Mr Yaboisembut demanding global recognition for an independent West Papua was read out at many rallies yesterday. The banned Morning Star flag was raised in three towns but not at most events, including the biggest gathering, near the capital of West Papua, Jayapura.

Queensland calls for action on Papua

The Australian - December 2, 2011

Sean Parnell – The Queensland Parliament has called on Indonesia to investigate and act on humans rights abuses in Papua.

Retiring Labor veteran and Amnesty International advocate Judy Spence used the last sitting of Parliament overnight to call on Indonesia to act on allegations of human rights abuse at the Third Papuan Peoples' Congress in October.

Amid reports of further clashes between Indonesian police and West Papuan independence activists, Ms Spence told Parliament she despaired at "the direction that human rights is going in many countries of the world today".

"I do not think we are seeking improvements," Ms Spence said. "In fact, I think we are taking backward steps in many countries. So it behoves us all to be very vigilant about the human rights standards in our own country and our own state but also to fight for causes internationally at every opportunity."

Liberal National Party MP Bruce Flegg backed the motion, saying "there is sufficient evidence of serious human rights abuses on our doorstep to cause us deep concern".

Dr Flegg called on Indonesia to acknowledge it has committed human rights abuses, decrease its military presence in West Papua and allow access by United Nations observers and journalists.

"This is a nation (Indonesia) that is very close to us," he said. "In many ways, they are a friend of Australia and I think it is right and proper that the Queensland parliament and Australia as a whole should be urging them to improve their human rights record in this area. It is a black spot for them."

MPs, NGOs urge NZ government to take action over West Papua issue

Radio New Zealand International - December 1, 2011

Morning Star flag raising ceremonies have been held in Auckland and Wellington to mark a significant anniversary for West Papuans.

December 1st is the 50th anniversary of the declaration of independence from Holland by West Papua in 1961, a year before Indonesia annexed the territory.

While ceremonies to raise banned Papuan nationalist flag have been taking place amid tight military and police scrutiny in Indonesia's eastern-most region, New Zealanders have been free to express thei views on the West Papua issue.

Johnny Blades went along to the ceremony outside New Zealand's parliament.

With around forty people in attendance, the Wellington protest was considerably larger than in previous years. Among them was a scattering of MPs, mostly from the New Zealand Greens party which won around eleven percent of the vote in the national election last weekend.

The Greens co-leader, Russel Norman, says the country's silence on the issue cannot continue.

"The people of West Papua are suffering the most terrible human rights abuses in having their right to self-determination suppressed and surely it's the role of New Zealand and the New Zealand government to speak out about it. West Papua should never have been included as part of Indonesia and the West Papuans have made that very clear over many decades, that they don't wish to be part of Indonesia, and they should have the opportunity to choose their own destiny. So they should be given the opportunity to have a referendum about their own future."

Another of those present at the Wellington protest, the co-ordinator of Peace Movement Aotearoa, Edwina Hughes, says there are two important steps the government should take.

"They should make an outright condemnation of the violence that's been seen particularly in recent weeks around the Third Papuans People's Congress and the other really important thing is that West Papuan representatives have repeatedly asked the government for assistance to bring about peaceful negotiations between West Papuan leaders and the Indonesian government, and that's something that the New Zealand government could usefully be doing as they did for Bougainville."

Richard Archer of Pax Christi New Zealand says that the government could do more to address the issue, and he doubts that many MPs adequately understand the situation in West Papua. But he says the government's position is complicated by its efforts to promote trade with Indonesia:

"But it's all tied up with trade and developing a new approach to trading rather than letting, if you like, or coming from grassroots, it's now becoming very much business orientated. A business model is being used now, it appears, that this particular government wants to promote. Whether that's good or bad, I suppose only time will tell."

Meanwhile, Russel Norman says they will push for New Zealand to review its interests in Papua region, including sovereign wealth fund shares in the Freeport mine and a police training proramme with Indonesia.

Student protesters in Jakarta say Papuan independence a 'historical fact'

Tribune News - December 1, 2011

Edwin Firdaus, Jakarta – Hundreds of students originating from Papua held a protest action in front of the State Palace in Central Jakarta on Thursday December 1, again calling for Papuan independence.

"The declaration of West Papuan independence was clearly embodied on December 1, 1961, this is a historical fact, and this was then confirmed by the Third Papuan People's Congress on October 17-19, 2011. So clearly we are already independent", said action coordinator Melki in a speech.

Melki also took the opportunity to explain that on this commemoration of 50 years of the independence of the Papuan nation, the Jakarta-Bali Papuan Society and Students are making the following political demands:

1. We demand that the United Nations (UNTEA, the United Nations Temporary Executive Authority), the United States, Holland and Indonesia immediately recognise the independence of the West Papuan nation on December 1.

2. The date December 1, 2011 is the commemoration of the anniversary of 50 years of independence of the West Papuan nation.

3. Return the sovereignty of the West Papuan nation that was recognised by Sukarno through the Trikora on December 19, 1961 at the North Square Yogyakarta.

Notes:

After the Dutch announced the formation of a Nieuw Guinea Raad on April 1961, with the intention of creating an independent Papuan state, Indonesia's founding President Sukarno declared military confrontation in his Tri Komando Rakjat (TRIKORA, Triple Commands of the People) speech in Yogyakarta, on 19 December 1961.

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Papuans in Yogyakarta call for referendum, independence from Indonesia

Okezone - December 1, 2011

Prabowo, Yogyakarta – Students and people from Papua in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta commemorated 50 years of the Free Papua Organisation (OPM) in front of the Papua dormitory on Jl. Kusumanegara, Umbulharjo.

They called on the Indonesian government to acknowledge West Papua Independence day on December 1.

"The aspirations of our sisters and brothers in Papua are that they want independence. The government could substantiate this by holding a referendum for the West Papuan people", said Papuan student activist Martinus on Thursday December 1.

Martinus explained that the Papuan people's demands are for the restoration of their dignity, self-respect and ideology that has been stolen by the Indonesian government since 1961.

"The Papuan people don't want the cheap kinds of things offered by the NKRI (the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia) government such as the implementation of special autonomy in Papuan, peace negotiations, national dialogue or whatever else they like to call it", he explained.

"What the Papuan people want is a dignified dialogue between the Papuan people and the Indonesian government for the purpose of restoring the dignity and self-respect of the Papuan people", he said.

Martinus also called on the Indonesian government to withdraw the organic and non-organic military personnel that are still in Papua. They also demanded an end to all forms of violence against the Papuan people.

In addition to the demands made on the Indonesian government, they also said the United Nations must take responsibility for restoring Papuan independence. Martinus asserted that legal instruments such the Perpera 1961, which gave birth to the 1969 UN sponsored referendum on West Papua's integration with Indonesia, were in fact an insult to the rights of the Papuan people to determine their own future.

Although the action only continued for around an hour, police and intelligence personnel from the TNI (Indonesian military) were spread around the area where the demonstration was being held. After holding the protest in front of the dormitory, the students continued the action inside.

Police and TNI personnel wearing civilian clothing were prohibited from entering the dormitory and only journalists will special identity cards were allowed to enter.

Although situation started to become tense the chief of the Yogyakarta municipal police, Senior Commissioner Mustaqim held a dialogue and in the end the Papuan students promised they would not do anything to disrupt security outside of the dormitory.

Inside the dormitory, although the Papuan students did not fly the Morning Star flag, the symbol of the OPM, they did wear OPM symbols such as head bands. Some even wore Papuan traditional clothing (penis gourds) complete with bows and arrows.

In press release distributed by the students, it asserted that the participants of the demonstration no longer want Papua to be part of NKRI, but want independence instead. (kem)

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Papuan protesters in Jakarta demand recognition of Papuan independence

Viva News - December 1, 2011

Elin Yunita Kristanti and Luqman Rimadi – Around 80 people calling themselves the Jakarta-Bali Papuan Society and Students held a protest action in Central Jakarta today demanding that the United Nations (UNTEA, United Nations Temporary Executive Authority), the United States, Holland and Indonesia immediately recognise West Papuan independence on December 1.

In speeches the protesters also called for an immediate investigation into the mysterious shootings and murders that have been committed in Papua. "We also want to be free from military violence in the land of Papua", said one of the speakers.

During the action, some of the protesters wore koteka (penis gourds). Although there was no flying of the Moring Star flag, some of the demonstrators painted their bodies with symbols of the Free Papua Organisation (OPM).

The protesters also unfurled banners with messages such as "Papuan people's anti-militarism solidarity" and "End military violence in Papua". The OPM's Morning Star flag was also printed in leaflets.

After giving speeches in front of the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, the demonstrators then moved off intending to march to the nearby State Palace.

However according to the head of the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle police post, Deputy Police Commissioner M. Nababan, the demonstrators disbanded before they reached the Palace. "Our information is that the protesters have disbanded, we deployed many as 20 police officers to guard [the action], however before reaching the Palace, the protesters disbanded by themselves", said Nababan.

On December 1, 1961, fifty years ago, Papua which was then called West New Guinea declared its independence. On May 1, 1963 West Irian was integrated into the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) though a mechanism that was seen as legitimate in the eyes of the international community.

After an agreement in New York, the West Iran people's right to determine their own future was enacted though a UN sponsored referendum on West Papua's integration with Indonesia (Pepera) that took place between July 14 and August 12, 1969.

The result of the Pepera was that West Irian would remain part of Indonesia and not separate from the NKRI. This was upheld by the 24th United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 2504 dated November 19, 1969. (eh)

[Translated by James Balowski.]

Indonesia opens fire as Papuans raise outlawed flag

Agence France Presse - December 1, 2011

Timika, Indonesia – Security forces opened fire at a separatist flag- raising ceremony in Indonesia's restive Papua region Thursday, on the 50th anniversary of the region's claim to independence.

Around 500 protesters had watched a traditional dance and started cheering and running in a large circle when the region's Morning Star flag was raised on a bamboo pole in the centre, an AFP correspondent at the scene witnessed.

Around 120 police and soldiers, along with a military truck, stormed the crowd and opened fire after the main flag was raised. Police kicked and punched protesters on the ground, and detained three of them. Papuan youth activist leader Markus Haluk told AFP that five people had been shot.

"At the ceremony in Timika, police and military opened fire, shooting into the air as well as at the crowd. Five people were shot, four of whom are being treated at a hospital and one was taken away in a police car," Haluk said.

But Mimika district deputy police chief Mada Indra Laksanta denied the shootings, saying police merely fired warning shots into the air. "No protesters were shot, we didn't shoot into the crowd. They were carrying sharp weapons and rocks," Laksanta told AFP.

"Two protesters fell into the ditch as they were fleeing and suffered abrasions. They were not shot, they only had abrasions," he said. "Three police were wounded, their faces and heads were hit with rocks."

Flag-raising ceremonies were held in a number of towns across Papua, and others were planned abroad in the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand and Britain.

In provincial capital Jayapura, 15 people had shot two policemen with bows and arrows, critically injuring one, provincial police spokesman Wachyono told AFP.

"Acting on a tip-off, the policemen were checking if anyone there had raised the Morning Star flag but they were attacked," he said. "A policeman is critically injured and is being treated at a hospital."

In the nearby town Sentani, 3,000 people gathered at the grave of independence leader Theys Eluay to commemorate the day with songs, dancing and speeches.

On December 1, 1961, Papuans first raised the Morning Star flag and sang a new national anthem after being granted freedom from more than 130 years of Dutch colonial rule. A year later, Indonesia invaded Papua and took over the region with a self-determination referendum in 1969, which was widely seen as rigged.

Papuans, mostly ethnic Melanesians, have rejected the region's status as one within Indonesia and poorly armed separatist groups have fought a low- level insurgency.

Displaying separatist symbols such as the Morning Star is considered an act of treason in Indonesia under the criminal code and several perpetrators are serving 20-year jail terms for the offence.

Some are serving life sentences, the maximum penalty under the criminal code for anyone "with an intention to bring the territory of the state... under foreign domination".

In late October, armed security forces stormed a pro-independence assembly when a group of Papuan leaders declared the region's independence and raised the Papuan Morning Star separatist flag, killing at least three civilians.

Civilians allegedly attacked during anniversary celebration in Papua

Jakarta Globe - December 1, 2011

Camelia Pasandaran – Four civilians were allegedly shot by police and military after conducting religious services in Timika Indah field to celebrate West Papuan independence on Thursday.

"Police and military attacked the mass and shot four people after the raising of Morning Star flag in Timika Indah field," Markus Haluk, a member of the Papuan Customary Council, told the Jakarta Globe.

According to Markus, the victims, Fero Anggaibak, Viktor Wamang, Alpinus Uamang and Jemago Elas, are still alive and undergoing treatment at a hospital.

The service in Timika Indah field started at 10 a.m. on Thursday morning and ended with the raising the of the Morning Star flag, a symbol of independence, a half hour later.

"They attacked thousands of people who were participating in a peaceful service from their combat vehicles," Markus said. "Six people were arrested and taken to the police office in Timika."

Maj. Gen. Erfi Triassunu, commander of the Cendrawasih Military Command that oversees military operations in Papua, denied that the incident took place.

"We used persuasive methods in dispersing them, no shooting at all," Erfi told the Jakarta Globe. "They tried to raise the flag, and police prevented it. Sometimes the report is being exaggerated. We only confiscated the flag."

Markus, who was in Sentani, said the anniversary of West Papua independence was celebrated in 35 districts.

"In Sentani, we celebrated the independence at Theys' [Eluay] grave site," Markus said. "It was also celebrated in Jayapura, Manokwari, Wamena, Nabire. Some of the celebrations were centralized out in the open, but some others were in churches. People also raised flags on some mountains."

He said that people are now gathering again in Timika Indah field after being dispersed. "They would not leave the field until police released the six Papuan people detained in the Timika police office," he said.

In Manokwari, according to Westpapuamedia.info, people were holding a 100 meter long banner that read "The Federal Republic of West Papua" featuring photos of President Forkorus Yaboisembut and Prime Minister Edison Waromi.

No one killed in the Papua attack, Police

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2011

Jakarta – National Police revised its earlier report this morning saying a police officer was killed by a group of armed men in Timika, citing that the police officer had been left severely injured after he was brutally attacked by around 15 armed men in Timikia, Papua, on the day of the 50th anniversary of the Free Papua Movement (OPM) on Thursday.

National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saud Usman Nasution said that two Nimbokrang police officers, Bripda Ridwan Napitupulu and Bripka Dian Budi Santosa, were attacked on their way to check on a reported Morning Star flag raising at the village of Berap, Nimbokrang, Jayapura.

"Before they reached the location, they were stopped by 15 men with traditional weapons. Bripka Dian managed to escape but Bripda Ridwan was caught and assaulted," he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

He said that the 15 unknown men attacked officer Ridwan with sharp traditional weapons such as knives and arrows, inflicting him with waist and facial wounds. The officer, Saud said, has been taken to the Youwari hospital in Sentani, Jayapura, for treatment.

According to Saud, on the OPM anniversary day, the police have taken down the outlawed Morning Star flags that were found raised in Wamena, Jayawijaya and Timika.

Four Kopassus cadets arrested

Tempo Interactive - December 1, 2011

Tjahjono EP, Jerry Omona Sunudyantoro, Timika – Four men who claimed to be trained by the Army's Special Forces (Kopassus) were arrested in Timika yesterday. They said they were members of the Indonesia's Independence Pioneers (PKRI), namely Maj. John Lamera and Cap. Gerald Titalesi.

Both were wearing the Indonesian Army uniform and Kopassus attributes. Two other members, Paulus Edowai and Nataniel Murib, were also detained. Mimika Police deputy chief, Mada Indra Laksanta, declined to call it an arrest. "We only questioned them and then brought them to the military commander," he said.

John told the investigators the PKRI was an organization guided by Kopassus and that the members had attended a military training in Jayapura – He also said the XVII Military District commander was aware of their existence in Timika. According to John, the PKRI has four members in Mimika.

The XVII Cenderawasih Military District commander in Jayapura, Papua, Maj. Gen. Erfi Triassunu, said on Wednesday that he did not know of the arrest. "I haven't received the report," he said.

Human rights & justice

West Java tops rankings for human trafficking cases

Jakarta Globe - December 7, 2011

Vento Saudale, Bogor – Human trafficking remains a serious problem for Indonesia, according to a government official who said underage and West Java women were disproportionately represented in the country's 3,840 trafficking cases recorded last year.

"From that number... underage women still dominate, with 854 trafficking cases. And nationally, the province of West Java contributes the most cases, at 862 cases, or 23 percent," said Imiyarti Fuad, a deputy at the State Ministry for Women's Empowerment and Child Protection.

Imiyarti was speaking at a public information meeting on the prevention of human trafficking, held in Bogor on Tuesday.

Imiyarti said her agency was focusing on two aspects of the issue addressed in the 2007 Law on the Eradication of Human Trafficking: prevention and victim assistance.

She said there was a role for various government agencies and community groups to play in working toward those two goals, through a joint task force laid out in a 2009 presidential decree.

Key approaches involve using local wisdom to help rehabilitate trafficking victims, Imiyarti said, along with providing legal assistance so that exploited women can regain their rights. The police also have an important role to play in catching the perpetrators of human trafficking, she said.

Bogor city administration spokesman Erwin Suryatna agreed, saying that the city wanted to help form the task force on trafficking. He said the initiative would work well in tandem with the administration's own ongoing efforts to eliminate prostitution.

Erwin added that the formation of the task force would not relieve families of their responsibility to act at the local level to minimize trafficking. Similarly, there must be coordination between regional and city governments, he said. Many women are trafficked from rural areas to cities, usually with the involvement of family members.

Last month, a researcher at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), Titik Sumarti, said that a lack of public awareness on the importance of reporting the signs of human trafficking was one reason for high incidence of the crime in West Java.

A spokeswoman for Bogor's Joint Service Center for Women and Children's Empowerment, Ratu Nailamuna, said the local subdistricts of Ciawi, Nanggung and Cijeruk accounted for the most trafficking victims.

Free imprisoned Indonesian activists, Amnesty says

Jakarta Globe - December 7, 2011

Representatives from Amnesty International met with the coordinating minister for legal, political and security affairs on Tuesday, urging him to free political prisoners incarcerated for peacefully expressing their views.

At least 90 people are in prison in Papua and Maluku for peaceful pro- independence activities, including Filep Karma, a Papuan independence leader currently serving a 15-year sentence in Abepura, Papua. Filep's case has received special attention by the human rights group.

"The Indonesian government should free all those who are detained in Papua and Maluku for peacefully expressing their views, including through raising or waving the prohibited pro-independence flags, and distinguish between peaceful and violent political activists," Amnesty said in a statement.

On Dec. 1, 2004, Filep organized a peaceful demonstration in Abepura in which the banned Morning Star flag was raised. Filep was subsequently sentenced in May 2005 for treason and stoking unrest.

Washington-based Freedom Now said Filep, 51, would become one of 13 political prisoners around the world for whom it was currently campaigning, joining the likes of last year's Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo. The organization is also known for having worked for the release of now-free Burmese democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.

Amnesty said the government had the duty and the right to maintain public order, but in some cases the restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful assembly had violated the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Indonesia has ratified.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono recently initiated discussions with Papuan activists and established a special task force to enhance economic development in Papua.

Papua and its neighboring province, West Papua, have enjoyed more economic independence under the 2001 Special Autonomy Law, but the absence of implementing regulations have been blamed for rampant corruption and widespread poverty.

Amnesty said it supported Indonesia's efforts to implement special autonomy but stressed the need to set up a human rights court and a truth and reconciliation commission to investigate cases of human rights violations that had gone on since Indonesia annexed Papua in the 1960s.

The minister, Djoko Suyanto, has expressed the government's commitment to ensure accountability for human rights abuses committed by security forces.

However, Amnesty criticized the use of lenient administrative penalties and closed-door trials in response to rights violations involving members of the security forces.

This year, security forces have been criticized for using excessive force during the disbanding of the Papuan People's Congress in Abepura on Oct. 19.

The National Commission for Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said at least six congress participants died during the brutal crackdown and hundreds more were injured or subject to degrading treatment.

The National Police punished seven officers with between seven to 14 days detention and reprimanded 10 others.

Amnesty called on the minister to allow international observers, nongovernmental organizations and journalists unrestricted and ongoing access to the provinces of Papua and West Papua.

2011 yet another bad year for human rights: Setara

Jakarta Globe - December 6, 2011

Ulma Haryanto – The year 2011 has been yet another period of abject failure by the government to protect human rights, according to the results of a survey released on Monday.

Bonar Tigor Naipospos, deputy chairman of the Setara Institute for Peace and Democracy, said the survey of leading rights activists, community and religious leaders and bureaucrats showed no improvement in the state's efforts to protect rights.

"There has been no significant change or effort from the government to uphold human rights compared to the previous year," he said. "The survey used a similar approach as last year. The Setara Institute grouped the variables in eight categories and measured how these items were perceived by our 71 respondents."

Bonar said the category respondents rated the lowest was the resolution of past human rights violations, which received a score of 1.4 on a scale from 0 to 7. Last year's worst-performing category, the perception of religious freedom, improved from a score of 1.0 to 2.3, while elimination of discrimination dropped from 4.0 to 2.8.

"Even though the score for religious freedom improved, one item in that group that still received a low score was the handling of cases of violence against minority groups," said Ismail Hasani, a researcher at the Setara Institute.

He said that this year the worst of those incidents was the attack by a mob of 1,500 on a small Ahmadiyah community in Cikeusik, Banten province. That attack, in February, led to the deaths of three members of the beleaguered sect.

Only a handful of the perpetrators were charged, and wound up receiving prison sentences of just a few months. An Ahmadi survivor who almost had his hand hacked off, though, was charged with provoking the attack and sentenced to six months in prison, half a month longer than his attacker.

Hendardi, the Setara Institute chairman, called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to "construct policies that uphold human rights through the resolution of past human rights abuses, end impunity and provide legislation enabling the enforcement of human rights."

"Compared to previous presidents, Yudhoyono has the strongest political backing because he was directly elected by the people," he added. "So there's no excuse for him for not to uphold human rights."

Researchers said that on the positive side, survey respondents were more satisfied with the performance of state bodies such as the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), the Indonesian Commission for Child Protection (KPAI), and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas Ham).

"Komnas Perempuan received the highest score, with a 3.7, while the KPAI got 3.6 and Komnas HAM got 3.4," Ismail said. "Another government initiative that received a higher score was terrorism eradication."

The survey questioned 71 respondents across 13 provinces in the country. It was carried out in September and October and focused on items in international covenants on human rights.

Dutch state to apologize for Indonesia massacre

Associated Press - December 5, 2011

Mike Corder, The Hague – The Dutch government will pay compensation and apologize to relatives of men killed by Dutch troops in a notorious 1947 massacre of villagers during Indonesia's bitter struggle for independence, their lawyer said Monday.

Foreign Minister Uri Rosenthal said that the apology "does justice to the gravity of what happened in Rawagede," the village on Java island where up to 430 men were rounded up and summarily executed.

"I hope it helps the relatives find closure for this exceptionally difficult episode in their lives and look to the future," Rosenthal said.

The Dutch ambassador to Indonesia, Tjeerd de Zwaan, will offer the apology during the annual commemoration of the massacre in the village, now called Balongsari, on Dec. 9.

Nine relatives of men shot in the massacre won a landmark court case earlier this year, when judges ruled that the Dutch state was responsible for the massacre.

The relatives' lawyer, Liesbeth Zegveld, says they are pleased with the Dutch apology. She added that the state also will pay each of the nine relatives

"It is good that the relatives can now close the case," she said. "It happened 64 years ago and there was a tough ruling from the court necessary, but the relatives are very grateful that the state is not going to appeal and will apologize."

The Dutch government has never prosecuted any soldiers for the massacre, despite a United Nations report condemning the attack as "deliberate and ruthless" as early as 1948.

A 1968 Dutch report acknowledged "violent excesses" in Indonesia but argued that Dutch troops were carrying out a "police action" often incited by guerrilla warfare and terror attacks.

Former Foreign Minister Ben Bot expressed deep regret for offenses by Dutch forces throughout Indonesia in 1947, but the government has never before formally apologized to relatives in Rawagede.

It remains to be seen if the Rawagede ruling will open the floodgates for more compensation claims from relatives of people killed during the fight to retain control over the Dutch East Indies, which became Indonesia in 1949.

The September ruling had a very narrow focus, saying widows of men killed deserved compensation because they suffered directly from the slaying.

Justice denied and derailed: Indonesia's legal shame

Jakarta Globe - December 4, 2011

Dewi Kurniawati – It has been seven years since Suciwati, a petite, soft- spoken yet bravely determined woman, lost her activist husband to a poisoner.

Her two children, Suu Kyi, 9, and Allende, 12, named in honor of the Burmese opposition leader and Chile's slain socialist president, respectively, wait with her for word of who ordered the murder of their father, the rights activist Munir.

Not a single day goes by, Suciwati says, without the family hoping to receive the justice and answers they deserve. Who killed Munir, they want to know, and why?

"I told my children everything they need to know about their father's case, they understand what is going on. The government owes us an explanation," Suciwati said.

Arsenic in the air

Munir, 38, was a prominent critic of the Indonesian security forces, which are often blamed for the deaths and disappearances of scores of activists during the Suharto regime. When the long reign of the New Order ended in 1998 with Suharto's forced resignation, Munir worked hard to uncover past atrocities. His mission over the years earned him many enemies.

While flying from Jakarta to Amsterdam aboard a Garuda Indonesia flight in September 2004, an assassin slipped arsenic into Munir's drink and he died en route. The brazen murder drew expressions of outrage from the United States, the European Union and the United Nations.

Since Munir's death, Suciwati has traveled to Australia, the US and Europe, asking officials, lawmakers and human rights investigators to keep the heat on Jakarta over the murder.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appointed an independent fact-finding team, which concluded in June 2005 that along with two Garuda airline officers, individuals from the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) had orchestrated the Munir murder.

"President Yudhoyono is 'selling' Munir's case to make himself look good," Suciwati said bitterly.

Prosecutors eventually accused Muchdi Purwoprandjono, a former deputy director of BIN, of ordering the killing out of anger over Munir's criticism of his leadership of the Army's Kopassus Special Forces unit.

Muchdi was acquitted by a Jakarta court in December 2008 despite the fact that there were phone records linking the two suspects. The acquittal was upheld by the Supreme Court and no further judicial review has been filed by the government.

The only conviction in the case came in December 2005, when a Jakarta court ruled that Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto, an off-duty Garuda pilot aboard the ill-fated flight, slipped the arsenic into Munir's fruit juice. During the trial, it emerged that Pollycarpus had links to BIN and had discussed the murder plot via cellular phone with Muchdi, when he was deputy chief of the spy agency.

"Officials and political leaders in this country have no idea how it feels to have lost a husband and a father. Maybe if this happens to them, then awareness and empathy will exist," Suciwati said.

Not willing to give up on justice for her husband, Suciwati has attended at least 240 "Thursday demonstrations," weekly gatherings of activists and loved ones of missing activists who dress in black and stand in front of the presidential palace, their silence a plea for justice.

He's not alone Munir is perhaps the best-known example of Indonesia's bizarre judicial system. But his case is hardly unique.

The lack of clarity for victims goes all the way back to the mass killings of accused members of the communist party in 1965, missing activists from the New Order era, the four students killed at Trisakti University in 1998 and victims of the riots that plagued Jakarta that same year. These are all ghosts from a past that Indonesia refuses to face.

The lack of political will and a corrupt judicial system are often blamed for sluggish law enforcement in these cases. However, law enforcement seems only too eager when it comes to petty crimes involving the poor.

Why go after the little guy?

In December 2009, a grandmother in Banyumas, Central Java, was charged with stealing three pieces of cocoa fruit; she served 18 days under house arrest before receiving a suspended sentence. The woman returned the fruit and apologized for the theft.

Others have been jailed for stealing a watermelon, petty gambling or lifting a t-shirt off a clothes line

Seemingly frivolous cases like these seem to flood court dockets, prompting mixed reactions from legal experts. Some say these cases are not worth the time, while others say all laws must be enforced.

"It is of course much easier for judges to punish petty crimes because poor people won't flee, or lie to judges, or destroy evidence like big fishes do," said Benyamin Mangkudilaga, a well-respected retired judge.

According to Benyamin, out of respect for justice, petty crimes should be punished. "Crime is crime, no matter how small," he said. However, he agrees that officials should work harder in solving big cases such as corruption, drug smuggling and terrorism.

Topo Santoso, a legal expert from the University of Indonesia, said that judicial officials feel comfortable and safe going after petty crimes.

"Not too many people in this country would risk losing their jobs by upholding the law," Topo said, "because they have worked hard, jumping through political hurdles to be in their positions to begin with."

There are plenty of reasons for Indonesians to be angry about messy law enforcement, especially on cases involving officials and political figures.

Gayus Tambunan, the former mid-level tax official who was found to have amassed more than Rp 100 billion ($11.6 million) in bribes, made headlines last year when it was revealed that he had bribed his way out of detention many times. But few of those who benefitted from bribing him for tax relief have been brought to justice.

Former Democratic Party Treasurer Muhamad Nazaruddin is now on trial for rigging a tender worth Rp 4.3 billion for the construction of an athletes' village for the Southeast Asian Games.

He skipped town for several months just ahead of a travel ban, then said he would blow the whistle on numerous senior Democratic officials. Back in custody, little has been heard of his sensational accusations since he returned.

Suciwati and her two children are willing to wait for however long it takes to finally receive a measure of justice. She is seeking access to intelligence files that may provide new evidence to reopen the case and bring Muchdi back to court.

Other documents – incriminating phone records that were not fully considered in the first trial – have been lost by the police, she said. But Suciwati, a one-time labor organizer, refuses to give up. "Hope is like a candle, however small, it lights up the dark," she said.

Political parties & elections

PKS to evaluate Depok mayor after corruption survey released

Jakarta Globe - December 7, 2011

Camelia Pasandaran – The religious-based Prosperous Justice Party says it will evaluate the performance of controversial Depok mayor Nur Mahmudi Ismail after the Corruption Eradication Commission ranked the city on the outskirts of Jakarta as Indonesia's second most corrupt.

The damning integrity rankings place the city just behind Metro in Lampung out of the 60 cities surveyed as part of the antigraft agency's integrity survey.

Legislator Aboe Bakar Al Habsyi, a senior member of the conservative party, known as the PKS, told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday that the information would be used to evaluate the performance of all party members.

"The survey provides constructive criticism for the PKS even though we still need to check whether the data is trustworthy or not."

The KPK conducts the integrity survey each year to measure the level of corruption in public institutions. It was conducted among 15,540 respondents who interact with 89 different institutions in different categories.

Bekasi scored just 3.5. At the other end of the scale, the administration of Dumai, Riau, ranked highest with an integrity score of 7.77. The government of Bukit Tinggi was ranked a close second with an integrity score of 7.67.

Nur Mahmudi was elected to a second term in office in controversial circumstances earlier this year. He has previously been criticized for failing to achieve anything major during his time in office and has adopted a hard-line against religious minorities, including the Ahmadiyah.

Golkar courting retired generals in run up to 2014

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2011

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – During the 32-year rule of military strongman Soeharto, the Golkar Party prospered on the back of military power.

Today, the venerable party, led by a business tycoon whose flagship companies are reeling under debt, is seeking support from the military to revive its past glory.

While other major parties such as the Democratic Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) still ponder who to choose as presidential candidates in 2014, Golkar is looking for the right retired general to be paired with its likely candidate: Aburizal "Ical" Bakrie.

The logic behind its move to court former generals is simple: Military figures retain substantial clout in Indonesian politics.

As one Golkar politician who declined to be named said, "Any party that wants to win an election in this country must mobilize and seek support from military generals."

Golkar's Bambang Soesatyo said that the party had met with several retire generals as part of efforts to consolidate support for the 2014. The generals, he said, were playing "an important role" in developing Golkar's political strategy.

"Microloans for small businesses and other populist programs are the results of the meetings with the generals," Bambang said.

The group of retired generals courted by Golkar, according to some reports, include former Army chief Gen. (ret.) Subagyo Hadisiswoyo, former Indonesian Military (TNI) deputy chief Gen. (ret.) Fahrul Razi, former Defense Ministry secretary-general Lt. Gen. (ret.) Johny Lumintang, former TNI training chief Lt. Gen. (ret.) Sumardi, former Territorial Staff chief, and Lt. Gen. (ret.) Suaidi Marasabessy, the former chief of the TNI's general staff.

The group is headed by former industry and trade minister Gen. (ret.) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, who is now a deputy head of Golkar's advisory board.

The retired officers possessed valuable expertise in areas such as territorial management and mass mobilization and had contacts in remote areas, Bambang said.

Golkar, the strongest ally of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, is reportedly eying incumbent Army chief Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo, Yudhoyono's brother-in-law, as Ical's running mate, although Ical has downplayed such speculation.

Golkar is not alone in seeking military backing. The presence of retired generals in political parties is the norm in local politics. Former Army Strategic Reserves Command chief Lt. Gen. (ret.) Prabowo Subianto is currently the chief patron of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and one of the strongest contenders in 2014.

Former TNI commander Gen. (ret.) Wiranto, is the chairman of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura). Meanwhile, other parties in the House of Representatives, such as the PDI-P, also have retired generals on their executive boards or serving as lawmakers.

The trend is not likely to end soon, as retired generals hold the top posts in some new parties, such as the National Republic Party co-founded by Maj. Gen. (ret.) Edy Waluyo.

Mobilizing former generals, however, is not likely to be enough in 2014. Golkar, under the leadership of Ical – whose wealth reportedly dwindled from US$2.1 billion last year to $890 million according to Forbes magazine – has launched a several populist programs aiming at creating grassroots support in the regions.

The party's "Ayo Bangkit" program, for example, provides loans and training to villagers, mainly farmers. Ical himself and several Golkar executives have begun visiting villages across the nation to promote the program.

Teachers have also been targeted by Golkar. Last week, Ical attended an event to mark National Teachers' Day with the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI).

Political parties 'reluctant' to open up on financial records

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2011

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Political observers have blamed both the reluctance of political parties to reform their financial systems and toothless law enforcement measures as the major causes of rampant corruption in the country.

"State bodies abuse state funds for political purposes while the House of Representatives is filled with politicians who share similar interests. It is no surprise the government easily gains approval for dubious projects from the House, which is supposed to closely monitor government programs," said Abdullah Dahlan of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW).

"Political parties have become the most destructive corruption machine. They represent one of the country's biggest problems today," added Teten Masduki, the secretary general of Transparency International (TI) Indonesia. The multiple alleged graft cases linked to former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin have been the center of attention this year.

Having been named as the owner of several companies, Nazaruddin has been allegedly responsible in several graft cases in various ministries.

The graft-riddled resettlement area development projects, taken forward by the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, were said to have gained the approval of the House's budgetary committee because some "commitments" were made by partnering companies to allocate some project funds to politicians from Minister Muhaimin Iskandar's National Awakening Party (PKB).

"Political parties have seemingly been enjoying such dirty practices for years as they were reluctant to open their financial reports to the public," Abdullah said.

The 2008 Law on Political Parties, amended in 2010 sets caps on individual and corporate donations and imposes tight financial reporting requirements. The law requires parties to open their financial records for public scrutiny and specifically to have their management of public money audited by public accountants.

At the national level, the parties represented in the House receive public funding in accordance to the size of their representation. Their local branches receive funding under similar arrangements from regional budgets.

The law has also required parties to report on state budgets allocated to them, or else face administrative consequences.

Critics said the law was not perfect due to weak reporting requirements and had been ignored up until now as political parties had yet to make such reports.

ICW and Fitra, both nongovernmental organizations focusing on corruption, have tried to push political parties to report their financial statements using the 2008 Freedom of Information Law.

But these efforts have been to no avail since none of the political parties responded to reprimands by the Central Information Commission (KIP) that adjudicated the cases.

At regional levels, law enforcement institutions have sent numerous officials to jail for the embezzlement of aid funds.

Some officials were proven to have used the funds for regional election candidacies. The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) revealed that there was a total of Rp 300 trillion (US$33.3 billion) of social aid funds being misused for such purposes during 2007 to 2010.

Lawmaker Eva Kusuma Sundari of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) admitted that reforming the political party financing system had been one of the toughest tasks.

"Political parties should have been the agent of reform. Many countries with successful anticorruption stories usually have political parties that promote transparency in their finances," she said.

Home Ministry spokesman Reydonnyzar Moenek suggested the amendment of a number of regulations overseeing social aid funds.

"For regional levels, an amendment of the 2004 Local Administration Law will be crucial," he said. "Our ministry has issued a number of regulations to prevent local budgets from being misused. But they always bend the rules," Reydonnyzar said.

ICW coordinator Danang Widoyoko suggested that political parties change the way they collect money.

"Political parties should collectively finance themselves from membership fees or donations. That would prevent winning candidates from committing corruption in order to pay back their 'sponsors'," he said.

Party-linked ministers disburse trillions in unaudited 'social aid'

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2011

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – "A politician who portrays himself as caring and sensitive because he wants to expand the government's charitable programs is merely saying that he's willing to try to do good with other people's money. Well, who isn't?"

The US political satirist and journalist P.J. O'Rourke says it well: pork- barrel politics is inevitable. In Indonesia – where vote-buying is virtually business as usual during elections – the practice is so plausible that some parties might see it as the norm.

The Social Welfare Law, enacted in 2009, has made it possible for every ministry to launch social aid programs. It defines social aid as the distribution of funds or goods to individuals, families or groups of people to help address social ills.

As the law does not provide guidelines as to how the programs should be implemented, ministries have set their own distribution mechanisms and criteria of recipients. This, critics say, often leads to misuse of state funds, if not outright graft.

"State bodies tend to define 'social aid' broadly. As a result, many ministries, including those having little to do with social affairs like the Youth and Sports Ministry as well as Culture and Tourism Ministries, allocate some portion of their budget for programs they claim are aimed for social purposes," Uchok Sky Khadafi of the Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (Fitra) said. "Sometimes we found that the programs were not really 'social'."

The Supreme Audit Agency's (BPK) 2011 audit shows that at least eight ministries failed to provide full accountability for their social aid programs in 2010. The eight ministries' total 2010 allocation for social aid was Rp 56.78 trillion (US$6.42 billion). As much as Rp 2.79 trillion or 4.91 percent was mismanaged and lacking accountability, according to the BPK.

The Youth and Sports Ministry, which has been under public scrutiny for alleged corruption in the SEA Games' athlete-village project and the sports-education center in Hambalang, West Java, allocated almost half of its Rp 2.5 trillion 2010 budget for social aid programs.

Minister Andi Mallarangeng of the Democratic Party approved the block-grant programs which led to the disbursement of Rp 1.06 trillion (87.6 percent of the ministry's total social aid funds) to 1,155 recipients with activities in the youth and sports sector.

The BPK states that accountability reports on the use of Rp 405.95 billion (38.3 percent) of block-grant funds received by 556 recipients were absent and the funds may have been misused due to the ministry's lack of transparency and inadequate monitoring. The audit agency also found poor accountability in the management of Rp 7.69 billion of aid for the International Olympic Committee (KOI) and Rp 5.1 billion for the Indonesian Sports Council (KONI).

Some ministries kept social aid funds with third-party institutions, such as banks, for months without clear reasons. Uchok said officials might have intentionally deposited the money to reap the interest.

The Disadvantaged Regions Ministry, for example, failed to disburse Rp 93 billion of social aid funds it deposited in a bank. The ministry is headed by Helmy Faisal Zaini, a politician from the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali of the United Development Party (PPP) approved the allocation of Rp 8.12 trillion (26.51 percent of the ministry's total budget of Rp 30.63 trillion) to social aid programs. Most of the funds, amounting to Rp 7.88 trillion, financed so-called "education institution assistance funds" which, according to the BPK, lacked clear procedures for verifying eligible recipients.

Lawmaker Eva Kusuma Sundari of the opposition Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), also a member of the House of Representatives' State Financial Accountability Committee, said President Yudhoyono's administrations failed to implement performance-based policies. "Every penny of taxpayers' funds must be accounted for on the basis of results," she said, adding that the government should limit the allocation of social aid funds in each ministry.

Indonesian corruption trial bad news for ruling party

Sydney Morning Herald - December 1, 2011

Tom Allard, Jakarta – The former treasurer of Indonesia's ruling party appeared in court on corruption charges yesterday, striking a defiant tone in a case that has already seriously damaged the political fortunes of the President.

The saga of Muhammad Nazaruddin has fascinated and appalled Indonesians and hinted at widespread graft among senior officials and politicians.

The President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has not been personally implicated but his approval rating has slumped and his anti-corruption credentials, intrinsic to his re-election, are widely seen to have taken a grievous hit.

Mr Nazaruddin, 33, once a rising star of the Democratic Party, is accused of receiving a 4.6 billion rupiah ($525,000) bribe from a developer who won a lucrative tender to build an athletes' village in Palembang for the Southeast Asian Games.

He came under suspicion after officers from the independent Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) raided the office of the head of the Youth and Sports Ministry, Wafid Muharam, and found envelopes stuffed with $150,000 in cash and another $350,000 in cheques.

The money trail led to Mr Nazaruddin, who had directly lobbied Mr Wafid to support PT Duta Graha's bid for the project, prosecutor Kadek Wiradana alleged yesterday.

After hearing the case against him, Mr Nazaruddin said the matter had not even been raised with him during the police investigation. "Since I was questioned, I was never questioned about these things in the indictment," he said. "This makes me confused."

His bewilderment yesterday was in marked contrast to sensational admissions and allegations he made after skipping the country a day before the Justice Ministry banned him from travel.

At the time, Mr Nazaruddin said he was simply seeking medical treatment in Singapore and would return soon but he went on the run for 2 1/2 months, visiting Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Dubai, Bolivia and Colombia, where he was finally arrested.

While on the lam, Mr Nazaruddin sent out a flurry of text messages and tweets fingering various politicians and senior anti-corruption officials in a wider scandal.

In a Skype interview with a blogger from an undisclosed location, he alleged he was in cahoots with the chairman of the Democratic Party, Anas Urbaningrum, funding their elevation to the top of the party's organisational hierarchy with the proceeds of corruption.

Mr Anas has denied the charges but he is not the only prominent party official implicated. The Sports Minister, Andi Mallarangeng, was twice interviewed by the KPK, as was party politician Angelina Sondakh, although neither have been named as suspects.

However, Mr Nazaruddin clammed up after a few days in custody in Jakarta following his return in August, and after visits from several prominent politicians. "I have forgotten everything," he declared.

He also wrote to Dr Yudhoyono begging him to spare him a court appearance and guarantee his wife would not be arrested. "I also promise that I will never say anything which can damage the image of the Democratic Party and the Corruption Eradication Commission, for the good of the country." Dr Yudhoyono rejected the request.

The KPK has hinted at more arrests shortly and anti-corruption crusader Todung Mulya Lubis said the Nazaruddin case was probably only the "top of the iceberg". "It's so mysterious," he said. "There's so many question marks."

Labour & migrant workers

Minimum wage for East Nusa Tenggara set at $100 a month

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2011

Jakarta – The East Nusa Tenggara provincial government has set the minimum regional wage for 2012 at Rp 925,000 (about US$102) a month.

Assistant for Governance and Development, Yohana Lisapaly, said that the government had increased the wage by Rp 75,000 from this year's wage of Rp 850,000, tempo.co reported. She added that the increase was based on the government's survey and local conditions.

A worker, Luther, complained that the wage was only enough to buy food and was far from enough to cover other costs like education expenses for his children. He said the living cost in the city is at least Rp 2.5 million.

Labor unions to set up 'local resistance posts'

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2011

Leaders of various worker's unions and movements say they will group together into a more organized front, and establish a joint committee and local branches in cities to oppose the politicizing of wage negotiations.

"Our fight will be equipped with the establishment of resistance posts in every area to strengthen our national structure of resistance," Congress Alliance of Indonesian Labor Unions (KASBI) representative Sultoni said Monday, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

He said that the posts would be the center for all labor union activities in their respective regions. "At the moment we only have posts in Tangerang, Jakarta and Bekasi. In the future, there will be more posts emerging in other cities," he said.

He said their first order of work would be to stage a mass demonstration involving workers in Tangerang regency Dec. 7, which would be followed by similar acts in other cities.

Government lifts ban on migrant worker transfer

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2011

Jakarta – The Indonesian government has officially lifted the two year moratorium on sending migrant workers to Malaysia.

"The moratorium is officially lifted as from today," Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar told reporters on Thursday.

Muhaimin said that after preparations Indonesia would start sending migrant workers to Malaysia between February and March next year at the soonest.

The government banned sending workers to Malaysia two years ago following violations against Indonesian maids by Malaysian employers.

Indonesian and Malaysian officials have now agreed on a resolution, including regulations allowing workers to hold their passports, a mandatory one-day off per week and matters relating to workers' salaries.

Minister Muhaimin said that the Indonesian migrant-worker recruitment and placement agencies (PPTKIS) would be in charge of all processes. He added that 117 agencies would be involved in sending workers to Malaysia.

"We have also established a task force, with members from both countries, to continuously coordinate with stakeholders and find progressive solutions for agencies, employers and the workers," said Muhaimin.

Environment & natural disasters

Law 'should settle' definition of forest areas

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2011

Tifa Asrianti, Jakarta – Before moving forward with a bill on illegal logging, the government and the House of Representatives should focus on a revision of the Forestry Law, a legal expert has said.

Agus Surono, legal expert from Al Azhar University, said that the bill was not the right solution for forestry-related problems, especially in terms of it establishing a special agency under the ministry.

"Rather than deliberating the bill, they should conduct a thorough revision of the Forestry Law, especially on criminal-related articles, because they will affect the law enforcement of illegal logging," Agus said.

He said that one of the Forestry Law's articles in need of revision was the definition of forest areas. The government often misunderstood the definition of forest areas, which had triggered uncertainty in how forest areas were defined, added Agus.

He explained that the definition of forest areas constituted four steps: the appointment of a forest area, forest border management, mapping and determining of a forest area.

"How can we fight illegal logging if we have yet to have a clear definition of a forest? With vague forest definitions there are loopholes for illegal loggers to carry out their activities," he said.

Deliberation between the government and the House over the illegal logging bill was facing deadlock as the government refused to grant authority to the Forest Destruction Eradication Agency (BP2H) to implement the bill because the authority belonged to the police and the attorney general.

The bill was considered important, as in 2006 the Forestry Ministry reported that destroyed forest areas had reached 59.6 million hectares from a total of 120.35 million hectares, with an estimated Rp 83 billion (US$9.13 million) of financial losses per day.

Agus said that a group of people from Central Kalimantan had brought the articles to Constitutional Court. He believed that the review would impact on how the government handled illegal logging cases in the future.

Nabiel Al Musawa, legislator of the House's Commission IV on agriculture, plantations, maritime affairs, fisheries and food, said that the House hoped to revise the Forestry Law and deliberate the illegal logging bill because it wanted to separate forestry regulations from law enforcement.

"There are many overlapping laws. For example, a plot of land that is already designated as forest according to the Forestry Law can be changed through the Spatial Planning Law, with local administrations issuing bylaws to change the land use. We hope to close such loopholes through the illegal logging bill," he said.

According to Nabiel, only House factions from the Democratic Party and the National Mandate Party (PAN) agreed with the government that a special body on illegal logging eradication should be created under the Forestry Ministry. The remaining factions wanted the body to be an independent institution.

"If the government insists on creating a special body under the ministry, we had better revise the Forestry Law and include such a body in that law. With deliberations in deadlock, it is now up to how the Commission's heads lobby the President. We all need to keep watch over this bill," he said.

Health & education

Jakarta governor turns to preachers to limit spread of HIV

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2011

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo says that he has placed his hopes on religious preachers to help reduce the vast spread of HIV/AIDS in the city.

"The number of HIV/AIDS sufferers in Jakarta is rising and a lot of those infected are Muslims. I think it is the task of ulemas in Jakarta, especially the Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), to educate young people with moral guidance," he said on Wednesday, as quoted by tribunnews.com.

The AIDS Control Commission (KPAD) has revealed that the total number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Jakarta had been rising and had reached 1,184 people in 2011.

Fauzi said that current measures that had been employed to prevent further infections of the disease were useless without moral education. "I hope that the MUI places moral education and working with youths as a priority in its work program to help them avoid getting infected with HIV/AIDS," he said.

The Jakarta KPAD survey of 766 HIV/AIDS sufferers revealed that most of those infected were workers with a total of 283 cases, followed by housewives with 147 cases and businessmen with 139 cases.

Sex education just might save lives, so why aren't more kids getting it?

Jakarta Globe - December 6, 2011

Dessy Sagita – Thirteen-year-old Sefritania Salsabilla cringes and looks away every time she sees people kissing and hugging on television.

"My teacher told me that those things are nasty and that teenagers like us should never imitate those kinds of things," she said. "I just feel guilty if I see people doing that stuff. It makes me so uncomfortable."

Like many Indonesian teenagers, Salsa, as she likes to be called, has never received a proper sex education, which conservatives believe would only encourage young people to become sexually promiscuous.

Last year, Education Minister Muhammad Nuh proposed making sex education part of the national school curriculum. A strong backlash from some political parties, however, ensured that the idea was never put into practice. Those opposed were mostly conservative groups worried that sex education encourages premarital sex.

But a new survey of Indonesians' sexual behavior paints a different picture. The survey, released on Monday by DKT Indonesia, a nonprofit organization that focuses on family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention, found that ignorance about sex only made young people more prone to sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies and death from unsafe abortions.

The survey, which involved 663 respondents aged 15 to 25 in five major cities, found that 93 percent of them obtained their information about sex from their peers. Only 10 percent got information from their mothers and 2 percent from their fathers.

"Most of them said they were afraid to ask their parents because when they wanted to ask, their parents usually accused them of being sexually active or at least intending to be," said Pierre Frederick, senior brand manager for Sutra and Fiesta condoms, with which DKT is affiliated.

More worrisome was the survey's finding that 64 percent of Indonesian teens learned about sex from watching pirated pornographic DVDs.

Pierre said that 17 percent of respondents aged 15 to 19 admitted to having had an abortion. Of these, 48 percent said that they did so through drinking herbal concoctions or going to a traditional midwife.

The survey also found that teenagers and young people had limited knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases. Some had heard and understood about HIV/AIDS, but very few were aware of other STDs such as gonorrhea and chlamydia.

Sexologist Zoya Amirin said that treating sex as a taboo subject would only put teenagers at a bigger risk. "Ideally, sex education should start really early. You can start educating your kids about sex when they're 2 years old," she said.

Different approaches, she said, should be used, depending on how old the children are. Very young ones should be taught to value awareness and appreciation of their bodies.

"Don't be mad if your toddlers complain that they don't like it when someone touches them," Zoya said. "That means they're aware that not everybody is allowed to touch them." Teaching young children about protecting their body is important to help them avoid becoming victims of sexual abuse, she said.

Older children require more comprehensive sex education, she said. When a girl starts menstruating, parents must explain that she is now physically able to get pregnant and have babies.

She should also be told that during her monthly ovulation cycle it is easier for her to become sexually aroused and that hormones at that time could affect and cloud her judgement.

"This is important because sometimes girls can't make a good decision when their boyfriends ask them to have sex," Zoya said. "They give in too easily, but then they regret it and hate themselves for it afterward, so we need to teach them to say no."

For boys, she said, parents should explain the consequences of engaging in unprotected sex to discourage them from acting irresponsibly.

Zoya said that sex education was crucial for children and teenagers to ensure that their psychological maturity developed in tandem with their sexual maturity.

"I have a 27-year-old patient, recently married, who is frigid because all her life she's been told that sex is dirty and nasty," she said.

"That's just sad. It's ridiculous that people think sex education will provoke our kids to engage in more premarital sex. If they were better informed, they might choose abstinence. And if they're already sexually active, they can at least take precautions."

Don Bosco apologizes, pleads ignorance in rejection of student over HIV

Jakarta Globe - December 5, 2011

Dessy Sagita – A school that earned the ire of the nation for rejecting, on World AIDS Day last week, a 6-year-old student because her father was HIV positive apologized on Monday but claimed its actions were due to "ignorance."

"The foundation admits that it happened because of ignorance and probably because the message was not conveyed properly," Handi Pranata, an adviser to the Panca Dharma foundation that manages the Don Bosco private school in North Jakarta, said on Monday.

The statement followed a mediation meeting conducted by Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono and AIDS Prevention Commission (KPA) secretary Nafsiah Mboi.

The Don Bosco elementary school in Kelapa Gading had requested that the father of the girl, Fajar Jasmin Sugandhi, who lives with HIV, provide a letter explaining that his daughter was free from the virus. The school said it could not accept her if she turned out positive.

Fajar rejected the demand, saying he did not want his daughter to be discriminated against.

Then the girl's mother, Leonnie Merinsca, received a text message from the school saying that it was canceling the enrollment of her daughter because other parents had objected to the girl's presence.

"We are not ashamed to admit our ignorance," Handi said. "Honestly, we did not know that we cannot force someone to undergo an HIV test. We did not understand that the test should be taken voluntarily."

On behalf of the foundation, Handi also issued an apology for insulting Fajar's family and said his daughter could study at the school if her parents still wanted her to. Handi had said earlier that the rejection was because the school had no facilities to care for an HIV-positive student.

The adviser also said that in cooperation with the city's education office, the school would launch a campaign next Tuesday to educate teachers and parents about HIV/AIDS so that they could avoid incidents like this in the future.

Meanwhile, the girl's father said he harbored no grudges against the school and would not take legal recourse. "I appreciate that the foundation was not too ashamed to admit its mistake and I have fully forgiven it," Fajar said.

He added that he found it more important to try to prevent any more children falling victim to the widespread prejudice against and discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Leonnie said that despite all the ruckus, her daughter "continues to hope that she can go to school there, and we might consider her wish." The parents had earlier said they no longer wanted to place their daughter at Don Bosco.

City poor left out in HIV/AIDS prevention program

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2011

Jakarta – In spite of the continuous government program against HIV/AIDS, for many of Jakarta's poor the program remains elusive, with many impoverished residents still not receiving counseling.

Mujahidin, an itinerant street vendor who frequented areas near the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, said he knew a beggar with HIV who struggled until the end with little or no assistance from others.

"He was a drug user. He had syringe marks all over his arm. We once took a blood test and learned that he had AIDS," he said.

Mujahidin said the beggar would get on a bus and beg for money from passengers. "He would tell passengers that he had AIDS and needed money for treatment," he said.

Mujahidin said that he and the beggar had drifted apart and that he later learned the beggar had died from an AIDS-related illness.

A bus conductor told the The Jakarta Post that there were many beggars who hitched rides, claiming that they had AIDS. "They usually operate at daytime. They hop on a bus at Grogol and get off at Slipi," he said.

A street musician with HIV, who identified himself as Odhi, said he'd never received any help from any government agencies since he'd contracted the virus in 2000. "I learned everything by myself, with some help from my parents. I read books and learned things about AIDS from the Internet," he told the Post recently.

From the way he talked, spirited and full of life, no one would suspect that Odhi had AIDS, but his sunken eyes and thin figure indicated that something was wrong. Odhi said he found his energy from the supply of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs.

"I take three, hiviral, staviral and aluvia, every 12 hours," he said while showing a pouch full of the medicines, which he received free of charge from Dharmais Hospital, a private hospital in the city.

Secretary of Jakarta AIDS Prevention Commission (KPAP) Rohana Manggala said budget constraints had prevented the city from being able to set up counseling programs for the city's poor.

The city administration earmarked Rp 15.1 billion (US$1.66 million) from the 2011 budget for HIV/AIDS prevention programs. "The best we can do is to hold counseling programs once a year in a number of subdistricts throughout the city," she said.

Rohana said that it was the poor who needed the program the most. "Unlike people from the middle to upper classes, the poor may not have enough knowledge about HIV/AIDS," she said.

She added that the city's poor was also the most prone to HIV/AIDS. "Many of them look for cheap sex even when they are not far from home, where spending an hour or two with a prostitute will only cost them Rp 10,000," she said.

Lack of funds also prevented the city from operating a health center specializing in HIV/AIDS cases. All HIV/AIDS clinics in the city are operated either by nongovernmental organizations or public or private hospitals, Rohana said.

The city expected to set up a "termination clinic" for patients in the latter stages of HIV/AIDS in Jakarta, to act as a place where those who couldn't afford medication for AIDS could stay until the very end. "However, we still have a long way to go," Rohana said.

Data from the commission shows that 1,184 new HIV/AIDS cases have been recorded in Greater Jakarta in the first six months of 2011. This makes Jakarta the city with the most HIV/AIDS cases in the country.

From January to June 2011, 675 Jakartans were found to be HIV positive while another 509 were with AIDS. Some 109 people have died from the disease. Most of the cases were found in West Jakarta, data from the commission said.

Private workers and housewives top the list of those most vulnerable to HIV/AIDS in Jakarta, at 283 and 147 cases respectively. Last year, 1,310 new AIDS cases and 1,433 HIV cases were found in Jakarta. Since 1987, Jakarta has seen a total of 9,784 reported cases of HIV and AIDS. (mim)

Girl kicked out of school because father HIV positive – on World AIDS Day

Jakarta Globe - December 2, 2011

Awis Mranani – A six-year-old Indonesian girl was kicked out of her elementary school on World AIDS Day because her father is HIV positive.

Leonnie Merinsca, the mother of the child, told the Jakarta Globe on Friday that her daughter's admission to Don Bosco elementary school in Kelapa Gading, Jakarta, was revoked on Thursday because her father was HIV positive. She said the school was demanding that the girl submit to blood tests to prove she was free of the disease.

"The school and our family are still having a disagreement about the issue of discrimination," Leonnie said. "The school believes that what they are doing is not discrimination because they would take the same measures if there was any student with other infectious diseases, not just HIV/AIDS."

On Thursday, Leonnie's daughter, who had been admitted to the school, was informed – by text message – that she was no longer welcome at the school because other parents had objected to her presence.

"I think what they are doing is discrimination, not only to my child but to our family and the public, especially those living with HIV/AIDS," Leonnie said.

Leonnie and her husband objected to any attempts to force their daughter to submit to a blood test. He said the school would not only fight for her right to attend the school, but would also demand the school make a public apology in the media.

"The school's action has hurt not only our family but many people with HIV/AIDS, that's why I think they should apologize," Leonnie said.

On an interview with Metro TV, Paul Yosa Handoko, education division head of the school's foundation, the Panca Dharma Foundation, would only apologize for sending the family the news via a text message.

The girl would still have to undergo a blood test to have her enrollment ban reconsidered, he said. "All we can do as parents is to find a school that can guarantee equal treatment for my child," Leonnie said. "I hope this case can open our eyes that discrimination against people with HIV/AIDS should not be tolerated."

Leonnie has not decided where to enroll her child because most schools have not started the admission process.

Despite rising infections from unsafe sex, condoms still shunned

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2011

Elly Burhaini Faizal, Jakarta – Condom use remains unpopular in the world's largest Muslim majority country despite the fact that most HIV/AIDS infections in Indonesia are now spreading through heterosexual transmission.

Nafsiah Mboi, the secretary-general of Indonesia's National AIDS Prevention Commission (KPA), said on Wednesday that condoms had fallen out of favor not only for birth control but also tool to prevent sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS due to prevalent myths about condom use.

Awareness among high-risk men and women on the importance of condom use to preventing HIV and saving lives continued to decline despite its effectiveness in prevent the diseases, she said.

"Such poor awareness increases the risks of HIV/AIDS infections through sexual transmission, especially in the workplace and business areas where workers usually come from other regions, are mostly very mobile and have relatively large incomes to compensate for typically high-risk jobs," said Nafsiah at the launching of the 2011 National Condom Week held by the KPA and DKT Indonesia.

More high-risk men refused to use condoms, saying that they were ineffective against infections since they still had pores. Condoms even can decrease pleasure, many say.

Citing a KPA study, Nafsiah said that the sex industry had spread rapidly among sectors perceived to be high-risk sectors including mining, transportation and construction.

"Working in remote places, such as at oil-palm plantations, workers often have no choice other than sex workers, increasing risks of new HIV infections through sexual transmission," she said.

Health Ministry data shows that 3.2 million people used the services of commercial sex workers in 2006, of which 60 percent were married or had long-term partners.

"Most of them engaged in high-risk sexual activities, having sex without condoms or any other protection against sexually transmitted infections," Nafsiah said.

As of September, about 186,000 people in Indonesia were suffering from HIV/AIDS, of which 87.7 percent occurred among adults 20-49 years of age, the Health Ministry said. Of the total cases, 54.8 percent were transmitted through heterosexual encounters, followed by injection drug use at 36.2 percent. As a result, HIV transmissions from mothers to newborns increased to 2.8 percent.

Nafsiah said that increasing condom use among high-risk men could play a key role in controlling sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS.

"Let's turn the responsibilities to men. If there are no new HIV infections among men, then we will have no infections among women and among our children," she said, mentioning that eliminating new HIV infections among men could not be achieved without continuously promoting condom use and healthy sex habits.

Todd Callahan, Country Director of DKT Indonesia, said that this year's National Condom Week, themed "Celebrating Condom Use", was aimed at increasing awareness among Indonesians, especially those in workplaces and business districts, on the importance of condom use.

"We want to see condom use become much more common among our people, as it can protect them against HIV infections and improve their work safety and health," he said. The condom week would also launch a mobile campaign in several universities and hang-outs around Jakarta during Dec. 1-7.

"We will distribute educational materials including samples of free condoms for the public," said Pierre Frederick Newmaster, Senior Brand Manager Sutra and Fiesta at the DKT Indonesia.

Graft & corruption

Mahfud savages Indonesian bureaucrats

Jakarta Globe - December 8, 2011

Dessy Sagita – Indonesia's outspoken Constitutional Court Chief Mahfud M.D. did the unthinkable on Thursday – he admitted that he had run out of ideas about how to save Indonesia from corruption.

Mahfud, who has consistency angered legislators and government officials with his comments condemning corruption – most recently saying that convicted corruptors be humiliated by being held in a special 'zoo' – said he no longer knew what to say about corruption and government bureaucracy.

He also lashed out at former activists or academics who became corrupt after coming to power. "The people who used to talk about corruption, the academics and NGO activists who used to protest, after becoming leaders, they ended up in jail because of corruption,"

Speaking at the University of Indonesia, the respected leader said Indonesia's corrupt bureaucracy impacted on the business climate. "Why do so many businesspeople bribe? Because the bureaucrats demand to be bribed."

He said that even though a number of presidents had come and gone, he said Indonesia's "complicated and dirty" bureaucracy remained unchanged. "Let's stop coming up with theories," he said. "It is better to act directly, if someone abuses their bureaucratic authority, I'll finish [them]."

MPR speaker demands Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force dismissal

Jakarta Globe - December 8, 2011

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly Taufik Kiemas said on Thursday that the government should dismiss the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force because it did not effectively carry out its duty.

His statement was mainly directed at Deputy Minister of Justice and Human Rights Denny Indrayana. "He is now a minister," Taufik said. "It [the Judicial Mafia Eradication Task Force] should have been dismissed once he was sworn in as deputy minister."

Taufik said Denny was actively involved in the task force and asked media to visit prisons. After Denny was selected as deputy minister, the performance of the task force was no longer as effective, according to Taufik.

House Commission III deputy chairman, that oversees legal affairs, Nasir Jamil agreed with Taufik's opinion. "Judicial mafia cannot be combated with a task force," Nasir said. "The work results of the task mafia are not clear, or probably there are no results at all."

He said that the president, who established the task force, should publicly announce the task force's performance. "For example, what plan has been made by the task force to eradicate judicial mafia," he said. "If there is none, it means the task force was only made to lift up [the government's] image."

Young officials stash billions of rupiah in their bank accounts

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2011

Jakarta – The nation's money laundering watchdog has revealed that dozens of civil servants – still in their 20s or 30s – are thought to have committed graft and stashed their illegal gains in separate bank accounts owned by family members.

The Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) deputy chief, Agus Santoso, said on Tuesday that the institution had recently submitted a report to law enforcers regarding the suspiciously large bank accounts belonging to dozens of young and low-ranking civil servants: namely, those holding ranks of IIIA and IIIB, and still aged between 28 and 38.

Agus, who was recently installed as the PPATK deputy chief in October, said he was flabbergasted to discover during the first month in his new job so many low-ranking civil servants possessing such moneyed bank accounts.

"You would be shocked if you knew the value [of their bank accounts], as they range from millions to hundreds of billions of rupiah," he said. "Their bank accounts had been distributed to their wives, children, even parents-in-law."

Agus argued that such deeds could potentially deliver a blowback for the civil servants' families as, according to the 2010 Money Laundering Law, everybody involved in stashing the money would face charges.

He admitted, however, that his institution could not prosecute the civil servants, as the PPATK was merely a "financial intelligence unit", and it could only go so far as to submit the report to the relevant law enforcement institutions, such as the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Attorney General's Office (AGO), and the National Police.

According to Agus, since 2002 the PPATK has submitted 1,200 reports concerning suspiciously large bank accounts belonging to civil servants to the KPK, the AGO and the police, but the response from those institutions has so far been unsatisfactory.

"For example, there was a case involving a civil servant that we reported in 2008; since that time, his [the civil servant's] career has soared," Agus said.

Former PPATK chief and member of the National Commission for Good Governance, Yunus Husein, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that the prevalent corruption within government institutions was caused by the country's flawed budgetary system, adding that the current system still had huge loopholes, which lent themselves to fraudulent practices.

"For example, the [end of the budgeting period] in the state budget last year was set for Dec. 15. If there was still money remaining at that date, it had to be returned to the state," he said.

"Meanwhile, projects were still up and running; so, instead of returning the money to the state, [the civil servants] chose to keep the money in their own bank accounts."

The PPATK's findings were another major blow for the bureaucratic reform program implemented in many government institutions, whose officers and bureaucrats had seen significant payrises in the program's so-called remuneration policy.

Yenti Garnasih, a criminal law and money laundering expert at Trisakti University, said it was imperative for the allegedly corrupt civil servants to be charged under the money laundering law, arguing that while the anticorruption law exerted punishment upon corruptors, the money laundering law had the additional "strategic power" to retrieve the stolen state funds. (sat)

PKS defends Adang's decision to keep Nunun's hideaway secret

Jakarta Globe - December 7, 2011

Camelia Pasandaran – A Prosperous Justice Party board member said that party lawmaker, Adang Daradjatun, has the right to keep his graft suspect wife's location secret.

"Adang, as Nunun's husband, has the right to not divulge her location," Aboe Bakar Al Habsyi told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday. "His right is protected by the law."

Adang, the former deputy police chief who is a PKS lawmaker, refused to explain where his wife Nunun Nurbaeti is now living. Nunun, who was allegedly involved in a bribery case in connection with the selection of Miranda Goeltom as Bank Indonesia's deputy governor, fled from Indonesia.

At first, Adang said that Nunun had a memory loss problem. He also claimed his wife suffered of blood vessel constriction in the brain and had to undergo several brain scans. Most recently, Adang claimed Nunun was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

Photos released last month by tempointeraktif.com showed a woman believed to be Nunun shopping in Singapore. After the photos were released, Adang said that his wife was "in my heart."

Aboe Bakar said that Adang's problem related to Nunun had nothing to do with the party and the party's effort to eradicate corruption.

"He has the full right to protect her, it has nothing to do with his membership in the PKS," Aboe said. "Moreover, her [Nunun] mistake has not been proven by the court yet."

KPK picks made official, but Busyro doesn't show

Jakarta Globe - December 7, 2011

Ezra Sihite – The newly selected leadership of the national antigraft commission was approved at a plenary session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with deposed chairman Busyro Muqoddas conspicuously absent.

Legislators at the meeting agreed to approve the selections made on Friday by House Commission III, which oversees legal affairs and was responsible for appointing new members to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

The motion, however, was held up for 40 minutes while the House waited for enough legislators to turn up. At the scheduled start time of 10 a.m., only 120 of the 560 total legislators had arrived. Any resolution at a plenary session requires the attendance of 50 percent plus one legislator, or 281 lawmakers.

When the quorum was finally met, Priyo Budi Santoso, the House deputy speaker overseeing the meeting, passed the motion confirming lawyer Abraham Samad as the new KPK chairman and Bambang Widjojanto, Zulkarnain, Adnan Pandu Praja and Busyro, the former chief, as his deputies.

"We're relieved that the KPK selection process has finally been completed," Priyo told the new commissioners. "To the new KPK leaders, we offer our congratulations."

The event did not pass without some controversy, though, with Busyro not attending or notifying the House of his absence. "Why didn't Busyro show up today?" said Ruhut Sitompul, a Democratic Party legislator and Commission III member.

He added that this was the second time Busyro had done something like that. Last week, Ruhut said, when Busyro was invited by Commission III to attend the vote to pick the KPK chairman, Busyro initially said he could not come, but in the end he showed up.

Ruhut said that despite Busyro choosing not to attend Tuesday's approval, he hoped the other KPK commissioners would get along with the former chairman.

Busyro, who was appointed chairman just a year ago, unexpectedly lost his seat to Abraham, whose own appointment was seen as something of a surprise by antigraft activists and analysts.

On Monday, Ahmad Basarah, a member of Commission III, claimed legislators had not voted for Busyro because they deemed him to be working against political parties.

"Busyro, as chairman of the KPK, fell into the trap of the anti-party movement, as can be seen from his various public statements in which he often attacked the very existence of political parties," Ahmad told the Jakarta Globe in a text message.

"His criticism was no longer constructive and instead tended be like character assassination directed against political parties in Indonesia."

He added that Abraham was the right person to push for regeneration within the KPK because he was young and capable of collaboration. "What the KPK needs now is a young, intellectual figure with a doctorate in law [like Abraham]. He is still young and his idealism is still strong," Ahmad said.

However, speaking at a discussion with Democrat legislators later in the day, Busyro said he did not attend the plenary session because he did not receive an invitation from the House. He also said he had not been feeling well recently and was still feverish and suffering a throat infection.

Golkar to use KPK as weapon

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2011

Ridwan Max Sijabat and Ina Parlina, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono and his Democratic Party will face an ugly battle in the lead up to the 2014 elections as politicians, led by the Golkar Party, will push new leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to pursue the controversial multibillion rupiah Bank Century bailout case.

The defeat of the Democratic Party at the hands of a coalition of Golkar, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and several of its party allies, leading to its failure to install its chosen contender to become KPK chairman, means the anticorruption body will be directed toward cases involving the ruling party, especially the 2008 Rp 6.7 trillion Century case.

While the case could lead to an impeachment process against Yudhoyono, many believe that it could be a significant political bargaining chip for Golkar, which succeeded in pushing for the election of Abraham Samad as KPK chairman at the House of Representatives' selection last Friday, excluding the Democratic Party's choice of Yunus Hussein to the commission's top job.

Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie was quick to express his hope that the new KPK leaders would thoroughly investigate the Century bailout case following their recent selection.

The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) is due to release its report on the Century bailout on Dec. 20, but leaks from the report already suggest that there were irregularities in the disbursement of funds used to bail out the bank.

Teten Masduki, the secretary-general of Transparency International Indonesia, said there may have been House efforts to push the investigation of the Century case by voting for Abraham to become the KPK chairman.

"By selecting Abraham as chair, most of the House factions, not only the Golkar Party, will push for an investigation into the Century bailout case," Teten told The Jakarta Post in a telephone interview on Monday. "Abraham comes from outside Jakarta which means he has no connections or clique in government circles. I am afraid those political parties which voted him in may use their influence."

In his fit and proper test with the House before he was elected as KPK head, Abraham vowed to complete investigations into major corruption cases, which he described as involving more than Rp 50 billion, vowing that he "would be deeply ashamed and thus resign as KPK chief if he could not resolve the major cases within a year".

Asked by the lawmakers whether these cases would include the Century bailout case, he responded boldly: "If the Bank Century case complies [with the KPK's criteria] and has strong evidence, I will investigate it," Abraham said.

Besides Abraham, many believe that other new KPK members will align themselves with Golkar as the potential winner of the 2014 general elections.

Achmad Basarah, a PDI-P lawmaker, said they would use the Century case as their major weapon. "As soon as Abraham had been elected, it was interesting to see that 'Ical' [referring to Aburizal Bakrie] ordered Abraham to resolve the Bank Century case," political observer Tjipta Lesmana from the University of Indonesia said on Monday.

Legal expert and former law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra suggested that the House's working group submit a recommendation directly to the House plenary session to start Yudhoyono's impeachment process based on the violations in disbursing the Century funds.

"The allegations are that the President and the Vice President [Boediono] committed serious violations against the state, including corruption and contravening their vows. This is a violation against the Constitution," he said. Teten asserted, however, if the KPK gave in to pressure from the House to investigate the bailout case by probing Yudhoyono, Boediono and former finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, it would be risky for the current KPK investigation.

"I'd say the KPK is not ready to investigate the case by trying to target Boediono and Sri Mulyani," he said. "It would be better for the KPK to ignore any political pressure and start an investigation based on the BPK report." (sat/rab)

House's KPK picks 'politically motivated'

Jakarta Post - December 3, 2011

Jakarta – The House of Representatives has elected the next four leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), prompting angry cries from critics who say that the victors were chosen to serve the interests of political parties.

The House's law commission voted in lawyer and rights activist Abraham Samad, senior prosecutor Zulkarnaen and National Police Commission member Adnan Pandupraja, along with race frontrunner Bambang Widjojanto.

Support for former Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) chief Yunus Husein, another frontrunner in the race, disappeared at the last minute due to a failed lobbying attempt by the Democratic Party, which had initially named him as their preferred candidate.

The ruling party, which controls a majority 14 seats in the commission, were out-muscled by the Golkar Party, which supported Pandupraja.

Golkar, which did not choose Yunus, who was President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's first pick, teamed up with other factions to support University of Indonesia academician Pandupraja.

"We never doubted the integrity of Bambang; he would not have allowed himself to be dictated by anyone," said Adnan Topan Husodo, the deputy coordinator of Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW). "But the other three newly elected KPK leaders showed a side to their characters that was willing to compromise with political parties."

Adnan also argued that the House's decision to pick Abraham, a 45-year-old lawyer from Makassar who was the youngest candidate in the race, as the KPK chief was a letdown, describing Abraham's appointment as "completely political" and saying that the lawmakers "only accommodated their political parties' interests and not the public agenda of corruption eradication".

"With this result, we can see clearly that the lawmakers put aside integrity, competency, leadership and independence."

Abraham on Friday became KPK chief by edging out Bambang and incumbent Busyro Muqoddas, who were tipped as the heavy favorites to become the leader of the anti-graft body, after surprisingly winning 43 out of the 56 votes, while Bambang and Busyro earned 4 and 5 votes, respectively.

The new KPK chief is known to have had strong affiliations with Islamic hard-liner groups such as the Indonesian Mujahidin Assembly (MMI) and Laskar Jundullah.

His curriculum vitae as a lawyer in his hometown at Makassar, South Sulawesi, includes defending Laskar Jundullah activists who were arrested for their involvement in the bombing of a McDonald's restaurant in the city on Dec. 5, 2002.

Achmad Basarah, a lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said that the lawmakers' decision to exclude Yunus, a notable financial expert who was previously tipped as the front-runner along with Bambang, was a result of Yunus' strong ties to the palace and the ruling Democratic Party.

Achmad told the Post that some of the coalition parties had shown signs that they may propose a leadership challenge before the 2014 elections, adding that they could use the Bank Century case as their major weapon.

"Yes [the coalition parties will try to topple the Democratic Party] and they feel [Yunus] does not have the competency to resolve the Bank Century case."

KPK spokesman Johan Budi said that the new KPK composition lacked figures with expertise in auditing and financial investigations.

"However, the current KPK leaders' composition, which comprises lawyers and prosecutors such as Pak Bambang and Pak Zulkarnaen, is in fact strong in terms of taking action." (sat)

Skepticism meets house selection of KPK Leaders

Jakarta Globe - December 3, 2011

Ulma Haryanto – More than a few eyebrows were raised when a relatively unknown young legal activist and lawyer from Makassar, South Sulawesi, emerged as the country's new antigraft czar on Friday.

And Abraham Samad didn't just scrape through, either. He garnered 43 of the 56 votes cast by members of House of Representatives Commission III, which oversees legal affairs and was responsible for appointing the new leadership of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Choky Ramadhan, from the Indonesian Judicial Watch Society (Mappi), said this achievement was surprising, given that he legislators met him for the first time during the vetting process during the week.

"Everything that comes out of the House is politically compromised anyway, but to know that Abraham received the majority of votes in such a short time was surprising since his achievements so far are still relatively unknown," he told the Jakarta Globe. "Did he strike a deal with the parties at the House in exchange for their support?"

During his interview earlier this week, Abraham told Commission III that his strategy to combat corruption included strengthening the witness protection program, boosting cooperation with other law enforcement agencies and focusing on corruption prevention.

He also told legislators that he believed the KPK wielded too much authority, particularly in conducting wiretaps, and criticized KPK chairman Busyro Muqoddas for speaking too much in public.

"In a way, Abraham has more in common with the legislators [than the other candidates do]," Choky said. "He also said he would like for the KPK to have the authority to cease an investigation."

The antigraft body's inability to drop a probe has forced it to be extra careful in its work, to the point where it has been criticized for moving too slowly in investigating cases. "But the lack of this authority also means that it cannot be turned into a commodity that can be sold for a price," Choky said.

The activist also took issue with the selection of National Police Commission (Kompolnas) member Adnan Pandu Praja and prosecutor Zulkarnain as KPK deputy chairmen.

Zulkarnain was previously criticized for failing to report his entire personal wealth to the state, as is required of high-ranking public officials.

"He still has properties that he hasn't reported. Besides that, when he served as the East Java chief prosecutor, he made the Lapindo case very difficult to prosecute and as a result police dropped the case," Choky said.

He was referring to the mud volcano in Sidoarjo, East Java, whose eruption in 2006 was widely blamed on gas drilling firm Lapindo Brantas, a Bakrie Group subsidiary. Police dropped a criminal probe into the disaster after prosecutors repeatedly refused to take up the case on the grounds that liability for the accident could not be proven.

As for Adnan, Choky said he had made "no achievements during his time at Kompolnas."

Tama Satrya Langkun, a researcher with Indonesia Corruption Watch, said the new KPK commissioners would have to insulate themselves from all political agendas. "The challenge for the KPK leaders in the future is very great. Corrupters are fighting back, so they have to be ready to take risks," he said.

Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, a former KPK deputy, said it was important that someone familiar with the workings of the commission be appointed as a deputy. "They know how things work, the mechanisms and priorities, whereas it will take longer for a complete outsider to understand these," he said.

He added that he hoped Busyro and fellow appointee Bambang Widjojanto, both much older than Abraham, would take the lead in guiding the KPK.

Tama said that with Bambang on board, the KPK leadership had a civil society representative. "He has to prove whether with this NGO factor, the KPK is better than if it was led solely by police officers and prosecutors," he said.

Erry said that with three lawyers in the leadership, the KPK could become overly focused on enforcement to the detriment of its other tasks: corruption prevention and education.

He said he hoped the KPK's internal mechanism would snuff out any political agenda brought in by the new commissioners. "The KPK has a certain mechanism, a standard operating procedure, as its last defense against corruption from within," he said.

New KPK leader, deputies named

Jakarta Globe - December 2, 2011

Ezra Sihite – Lawyer Abraham Samad was selected by lawmakers on Friday to chair the powerful Corruption Eradication Commission for the next four years.

"Busyro Muqoddas, who previously the chairman, will continue serving as deputy chairman," said Benny K. Harman, the chairman of the House of Representatives Commission III, which was in charge of the selection.

During his interview earlier this week, Samad said his strategy to combat corruption included a better witness protection program, synergy with other law enforcement agencies and focus on corruption prevention.

He also told the lawmakers that the KPK had too much authority, particularly in conducting wiretapping. He also criticized current KPK chairman Busyro Muqoddas for speaking too much in public.

Born in Makassar, South Sulawesi, 45 years ago, Samad holds a doctorate degree on law from Hasanuddin University. He is known for founding the Anti Corruption Commitee in South Sulawesi.

The three other new deputy commissioners are human rights activist Bambang Widjojanto, National Police Commission member Adnan Pandupraja and prosecutor Zulkarnaen.

Indonesian Corruption Watch said the new names were not surprising, but they were disappointed with the inclusion of Adnan and Zulkarnaen. "We have told the selection committee as well as to the House not to select them," Tama S. Langkun, the ICW legal researcher, told Jakarta Globe.

Tama said that though Adnan has no integrity problem, this former member of National Police commission has no excellent track record on corruption.

Two candidates widely expected to be included, Yunus Husein, the former chairman of the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK), and Abdullah Hehamahua, an adviser to the KPK and the head of its ethics committee, did not make it.

Graft in Indonesia falling, but more to do

Jakarta Globe - December 1, 2011

Ulma Haryanto & Nani Indarti – Transparency International Indonesia criticized the government on Thursday for failing to fight corruption and eradicate poverty.

In the group's latest Corruption Perception Index, Indonesia improved slightly from 2.8 to 3.0, with 10 being the least corrupt. New Zealand landed the top spot with 9.5 while Somalia and North Korea were last with 1.0.

TI Indonesia president Natalia Soebagjo dismissed the improvement, describing it as insignificant. "The Anti-Corruption Court's performance is weak and settlements are slow," she said, adding that millions of Indonesians remained trapped in poverty and foreign businesses faced major obstacles attempting to operate in the country.

Teten Masduki, secretary general of TI Indonesia, said Indonesia's rating has been increasing by 0.2 increments each year since 2000 until last year, when the country's rating stayed at 2.8.

"From 2009 to 2010 [the score] remained at 2.8 since at that time there were many cases that affected the survey such as the 'crocodile versus gecko' dispute [pitting senior police against antigraft authorities] and the Bank Century scandal [involving the government bailout of a private lender]," Teten said.

The index itself is an aggregate indicator that ranks countries on the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians. "It is a composite index drawn from corruption-related data by a variety of independent and reputable institutions," Natalia said.

Indonesia was ranked 100 out of 180 countries surveyed. Last year the country ranked 110. Neighbor Malaysia scored 4.3 while Singapore, ranked 5th worldwide, scored 9.2.

"Compared to its neighbors, Indonesia's performance is so-so," Natalia said, adding that the country fared better than Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia and Burma.

Separately, Deputy Justice and Human Rights Minister Denny Indrayana said the government was not satisfied with its score. "[The score] is one thing to be grateful for but on the other hand we are still not satisfied," Denny said, adding that the government planned to reach 5.0 by 2014.

Denny said Vice President Boediono held a ministerial meeting on Thursday regarding the 2012 National Strategy for Corruption Eradication and Corruption Prevention.

Diani Sediawati, director of legal and human rights at the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas), said the strategy would focus on six items: prevention and law enforcement, harmonization of governmental regulations, international cooperation, asset recovery, education, and reporting mechanisms.

Doni Muhardiansyah, director of research and development at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), claimed that Indonesia's improvement in the index should be attributed to the antigraft agency.

When the KPK was established in 2003, the country's index stood at 1.9, in seven years it has improved [to 3.0]. We feel that we have contributed a lot [to the improvement]," Doni said. "Indonesia would have scored higher if [other] law enforcement was better."

'Please explain," religious minister asks antigraft agency

Jakarta Globe - December 1, 2011

Ezra Sihite & Rangga Prakoso – Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali says he has no idea why the Corruption Eradication Commission ranked his ministry as one of Indonesia's most corrupt.

"I don't understand why the Religious Affairs Ministry has been accused of being the most corrupt [institution]," Suryadharma said in brief comments at the House of Representatives on Thursday.

He said he had sent a letter to the commission, known as the KPK, asking for an explanation as to why the ministry was ranked alongside the Jakarta city administration at the bottom of the integrity survey.

"Healthy criticism should be based on fact, as criticism can be debated," the controversial minister said.

In an unfortunate coincidence for Suryadharma, the Attorney General's Office on Thursday named two officials from the ministry suspects for allegedly marking up the prices of laboratory equipment for Islamic schools. The fraud allegedly cost the state Rp 25 billion ($2.75 million).

Indonesia failing to reduce corruption: TII

Jakarta Globe - December 1, 2011

Ulma Haryanto – Transparency International Indonesia criticized the government on Thursday for failing to fight corruption and eradicate poverty.

In the latest Transparency International rankings released on Thursday, Indonesia's corruption perception Index improved slightly from 2.8 to 3.0. Ten is the least corrupt. Transparency International Indonesia president Natalia Soebagjo wrote off the improvement, describing it as insignificant.

"The Anti-Corruption Court's performance is weak and settlements are slow," she said, adding that millions of Indonesians remained trapped in poverty and foreign businesses faced major obstacles attempting to operate in the country.

Indonesia was ranked 100 out of 180 countries surveyed. Neighbor Malaysia scored 4.3.

Freedom of religion & worship

Garut official wanted out due to Ahmadi ties

Jakarta Post - December 7, 2011

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Demonstrators representing 27 Muslim groups rallied in Bandung on Monday, demanding that the West Java governor remove the Garut regency secretary for his alleged adherence to the minority Islamic Ahmadiyah sect.

The official, Iman Alirahman, was a member of the Ahmadiyah group, which was banned under a provincial bylaw, and should be dismissed or transferred, according to protest spokesperson Zamzam Zomantara.

"This is the third time in the last two months that we have come here to Bandung, which is 40 kilometers from Garut, to express our demands."

Zamzam alleged that Iman fostered miscommunication between Garut Regent Aceng H.M. Fikri and Deputy Regent Dicky Chandra that led to Dicky's resignation.

"The regency secretary has committed many wrongdoings that have made Garut chaotic. He has insulted religion. He said he repented, but we have evidence of a 2011 receipt proving he is still sending money to Ahmadiyah," Zamzam said on Monday.

Iman had also violated civil service regulations on polygamy and had falsified land-sale documents, Zamzam alleged.

Some protesters voiced concerns that Iman would be promoted, despite what they identified as wrongdoings, and might even be appointed deputy regent. Aceng Fikri, however, said that he had not appointed a replacement for Dicky as he could manage governing the regency alone.

Meanwhile, West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan, who refused to meet with the protesters, said he had no authority over an official of an autonomous region.

Meanwhile, Dicky brushed aside suggestions that Iman had triggered his resignation, claiming Aceng Fikri had evinced poor leadership. "I failed to help the regency administration in a transparent manner in financial management and employment," Dicky said after the governor endorsed his resignation.

Lombok mob targets 'deviant' sect over alcohol, dress, music

Jakarta Globe - December 6, 2011

Fitri, Mataram – Hundreds of villagers in East Lombok have attacked and set alight a hut used by a small group deemed to be a deviant sect, forcing police to evacuate and save the sect leader and 20 of his followers, police said on Monday.

The attack by villagers from Seruni Mumbul on Sunday destroyed the hut, which sat atop a local hill, Pringgabaya subdistrict Police chief Adj. Comr. Eko Mulyadi said.

"The leader of the group that is suspected of being a deviant sect, Khairrudin Ahmad, and 20 of his disciples, were detained for their own safety so that the angry mob does not attack them," Eko said.

Villagers alleged that the group's Koranic reading ritual included making loud noise, indecent dress and the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

But, Eko said, "we do not yet know for certain what teachings they abide by. Therefore we will question the leader to see whether or not the teaching deviates from Islam." Eko said that on Saturday night villagers demanded that the sect disband or leave the area, prompting an exchange of harsh words between the two sides.

At that time police were able to disband the crowd, but demonstraters returned the next day to destroy the empty hut.

Abu Agna, a resident of Pringgabaya, said that every Thursday evening the sect conducted a ritual where they engaged in Koranic reading while drinking alcohol and listening to flute and gong music.

"Another thing that deviates from Islam is that the women and the men who are not related by family ties mixed" and did not dress according to Islamic codes, Abu said. He added that the group had conducted meetings over the past two months.

He said that when the group's leader was taken by the police on Sunday, he was only in his underwear and was clearly drunk, forcing police to actually carry him to the police vehicle that later took him to the subdistrict police station. Residents, he said, found a number of kris daggers as well as five bottles of fermented palm wine inside the hut before they set it aflame.

Saiful Muslim, head of the West Nusa Tenggara chapter of the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI), said that even though the council could not yet say whether the sect was deviant, he deplored the violence.

GKI Yasmin stalemate a sign of intolerance - Global church body

Jakarta Globe - December 5, 2011

Vento Saudale – The continued blockade of the GKI Yasmin church in Bogor by the local administration and hard-line Muslims has drawn the ire of the World Council of Churches, which warned of rising intolerance in the country against minority groups.

The Rev. Soritua Nababan, a president of the WCC and a former head of the Protestant Christian Batak Church (HKBP), the biggest Protestant church in Indonesia, attempted to visit the site on Sunday but was prevented from doing so by public order officers (Satpol PP) and a mob of 500 hard-liners.

He said the continued closure of the church in direct violation of a Supreme Court ruling was a major cause for concern.

"This sets a very poor precedent whereby the freedom to worship and supremacy of law have been ignored," Soritua said. "It also highlights the intolerance faced by minority groups in Indonesia."

He added the GKI Yasmin case represented the wider struggle by members of minority religions across the country to practice their faith in peace. "This is a struggle for people of all faiths in Indonesia and is about our future," Soritua said.

He blasted the administration of Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto for flouting the court ruling and the central government for failing to address the issue. "It's been more than four years and yet the central government is still sleeping on the case without ensuring any certainty," he said.

Soritua added he had come to see the situation for himself, and not to provoke anyone, but had been blocked from getting anywhere near the church.

Bona Sigalingging, a spokesman for the beleaguered congregation, said it was not just the mob of hard-liners blocking off the road to the church who had turned the WCC president away.

"He was adamant that he wanted to go and see the church up close, but he was strictly reprimanded by the head of the public order agency [Bambang Budiarto] and warned that he wasn't allowed to," Bona said.

The church has been illegally sealed off by the city administration on the pretext that the congregation doctored a petition needed to obtain a building permit. The congregation has since 2008 been forced to hold Sunday services on the sidewalk outside the church.

In recent months, however, Muslim hard-liners led by the Indonesian Muslim Communication Forum (Forkami) have taken to blocking off the area.

Forkami members were out in force on Sunday, along with hard-liners from the Muslim Solidarity Front. Facing off against them, however, were protesters from the West Bogor Community Forum for Peace, which has expressed its frustration with the lack of a resolution and continued intimidation of the congregation.

There was also a heavy security presence on hand to prevent a clash, comprising 600 police and military personnel and Satpol PP.

SBY urges religious tolerance, scolds intimidators in speech at church

Jakarta Globe - December 5, 2011

Bayu Marhaenjati – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stressed on Sunday the importance of preserving religious harmony in Indonesia and condemned religious groups' intimidation of others.

Yudhoyono was speaking at an event held by the Batak Christian Protestant Church (HKBP), which will celebrate its 150th anniversary this month during an event at Gelora Bung Karno. "Hopefully the HKBP can keep growing and actively participate in the name of God to preserve religious harmony," Yudhoyono said.

The HKBP is the largest Protestant denomination in Indonesia with more than 4.5 million members. The church was founded in 1861 by German missionaries who converted the predominantly animistic Batak community in North Sumatra.

"I know the Batak community, particularly the Batak Protestants, have participated in the nation's struggle ever since the [Dutch] colonial era," the president said.

"For example, [military leader] T.B. Simatupang. He fought the Dutch colonialists while being a prominent church figure, and there are many more Batak figures."

"Every religion teaches fundamental ideals of good and togetherness. Our nation's diversity is a strength, a gift from God which we must preserve," Yudhoyono continued. "Therefore, we must not force our will onto or intimidate our brothers in performing their religious duties. Tolerance is non-negotiable."

The speech came amid an uptick in incidents of intimidation committed against religious minorities in Indonesia.

For more than a year, congregation members of the Indonesian Christian Church in Taman Yasmin, Bogor have had to pray on the streets after the Bogor city government unilaterally revoked the church's building permit. The Supreme Court had ruled against the foreclosure of the church, but the Bogor administration defiantly refused to obey the ruling.

The HKBP itself was subject to a similar foreclosure case by the government of Bekasi. The organization, however, stopped campaigning to build the new church after an HKBP elder was stabbed and a female priest was beaten in 2009.

Christian leader barred from GKI Yasmin

Jakarta Post - December 5, 2011

Theresia Sufa, Jakarta – President of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Rev. Soritua A.E Nababan was barred from entering the beleaguered GKI Taman Yasmin church in Bogor, West Java, on Sunday, his passage blocked by security personnel and members of an Islamic hardliner group.

Personnel from the Bogor police and the Public Order Office were joined by members of the Islamic Reform Movement (Garis) and the Indonesian Muslim Communication Forum (Forkami) in cordoning off the church, located on Jl. K.H. Muhammad bin Nuh.

"As an Indonesian citizen, I feel ashamed with this blockade. There are so many police officers here as if they don't have more important things to do," Soritua told The Jakarta Post.

Soritua condemned the blockade and said that his visit to GKI Yasmin was a show of solidarity to members of the congregation. "I pay them a visit to encourage them in their struggle and to remind them not to use violence in resolving this problem," he said.

GKI Yasmin spokesman Bona Sigalingging said that Soritua's visit could not be deemed illegal as his organization had notified the Bogor administration and the local police.

A Garis leader, Dede Triswandar said that the blockade was a show of solidarity to Muslims living near the church. "We will not hesitate to take violent action because the Supreme Court's ruling is wrong," he said. Dede said that the Supreme Court could have taken an ill-advised decision. "The court is full of infidels," he added.

Soritua was not the first WCC leader to visit GKI Yasmin. WCC moderator Walter Altman paid a short visit to the church in October, when he was allowed to access the church's compound.

Bogor Mayor Diani Budiarto has consistently refused to reopen the church, which has been sealed since 2008. Diani based his decision on the allegation that the church had no legal building permit. (lfr)

Party fractions support Bogor mayor sealed GKI Yasmin

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2011

Hans David Tampubolon, Jakarta – The Golkar Party and the Democratic Party factions at the Bogor Legislative Council (DPRD) support Mayor Diani Budiarto's stance to keep GKI Taman Yasmin church sealed despite the fact that it violates a Supreme Court ruling.

Both Golkar and the Democratic Party's chairmen at the council voiced their support during an audience with hard-line Islamic mass organization representatives on Wednesday. The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) also pledged its stance to support Diani, kompas.com reported.

Previously, national central board executives from both parties had said that they had ordered their members on the council to take political action against Diani by issuing an interpellation initiative due to his persistence in barring the church members from conducting their religious services in their own church building regardless of the fact that a Supreme Court ruling last year guaranteed their rights to do so.

With the latest move at the council, the only major party that still clearly stated its opposition against Diani was the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the first party that announced to the public plans to take political action against the mayor.

The PDI-P faction chairman on the council, Slamet Wijaya, told the audience that if they supported the pluralist state ideology Pancasila, the five basic foundations of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesian (NKRI), then they should respect GKI Yasmin members' right to conduct services in their own building.

The GKI Yasmin church members have been barred from conducting their religious services inside their own building for more than two years due to an endless legal battle with the Bogor administration led by Diani, who claimed that there were many objections from nearby residents about the congregation.

Diani also once cited that the GKI Yasmin church building, located on Jl. Abdullah bin Nuh, had no right to be established on a street whose name was taken from a famous Islamic leader.

Family members of Abdullah later said they did not endorse Diani's statement. Abdullah's son Muhammad Mustofa said Islam was a tolerant religion that always respected pluralism.

"Mecca is a shining example of pluralism. Every problem has a solution and we hope a resolution can soon be found," he was quoted as saying by Radar Bogor newspaper in August.

Separately, Setara Institute human rights watchdog says that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had to take a firm, direct measure with his subordinate, Diani, to settle the GKI Yasmin issue, because it had escalated from a local problem into a national one.

"SBY must show that the law must stand tall. The mayor might have his autonomous authority, but religious issues are the domain of the central government and therefore, the President has the right to intervene in the matter.

"The President cannot leave this matter in the hands of Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi, who is clearly in favor of the mayor," Setara Institute deputy chairman Bonar Tigor Naipospos told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Bonar also said that there was no need for the GKI Yasmin congregation members to renegotiate their building permission because their rights to the land and the building had been guaranteed by the law. "Any renegotiation would only degrade the law's supremacy and the authority of the court," he said.

Presidency & cabinet

Yudhoyono scolds cabinet ministers

Jakarta Globe - December 2, 2011

Arientha Primanita – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has again used a public press conference to criticize the performance of members of his cabinet, this time because he was informed of the Mahakam II Bridge tragedy by people other than his ministers.

Yudhoyono, speaking prior to a cabinet meeting on Friday, scolded his ministers for the failure of the central government's internal reporting systems, which he blamed on the government's inability to implement good governance.

"Let me give you example, the case of the collapsed bridge on the Mahakam river in Kutai Kartanegara district," Yudhoyono said, referring the tragedy that has claimed an estimated 39 lives.

He said he often learned of issues much more quickly than his own cabinet ministers, ordering them to implement systems to ensure they were updated as quickly as possible.

Palace insiders say ministers, particularly in cabinet meetings, are often reluctant to be bearers of bad news to Yudhoyono. Yudhoyono, in turn, often uses news conferences to rebuke ministers or officials.

The president also reminded his ministers, particularly coordinating ministers, to build effective communication with the public through the mass media, particularly through routine press conferences.

"For the sake of good communication, [you] don't have to wait for journalists to ask," he said. "If we know that in a week there are three or four issues, just explain what the government has been done or is still doing."

Parliament & legislation

DPR hearing on remissions turns into shouting match

Jakarta Globe - December 7, 2011

Ezra Sihite – A hearing on the contentious new policy to deny sentence cuts to corruption convicts turned ugly on Wednesday with a legislator losing his temper at Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin.

The hearing between Amir, his deputy, Denny Indrayana, and House of Representatives Commission III, which oversees legal affairs, quickly deteriorated into a shouting match over the decision in late October to quash the early release of former Golkar Party legislator Paskah Suzetta by rescinding a remission granted to the graft convict.

Azis Syamsuddin, a Commission III legislator from Golkar, repeatedly laid into Amir over the last-minute decision, at one point suggesting that it was a deliberately calculated attack on Golkar by the minister from the ruling Democratic Party.

He said the most jarring aspect of the issue was that Paskah had been returned to prison immediately upon his release on Oct. 30, whereas the ministry's official letter on the moratorium had been issued on Nov. 16.

"If this is true, we demand full accountability in the form of the firing of the director general of corrections and the chief warden of Cipinang Penitentiary," Azis said.

When Amir tried to respond by asking Azis to hear him out, the legislator lashed out at him. "We can all hear you. You don't have to ask for our attention. Please check yourself. If you want to argue, I can argue too," he said.

Azis then flared up further when Denny whispered something to Amir. "Deputy minister, stop whispering," he shouted. "I didn't give you permission to whisper. If you don't like it, you're welcome to leave." Denny was later ejected from the hearing after again whispering to Amir.

Earlier in the hearing, Amir acknowledged that the order to re-incarcerate Paskah lacked an official written letter, but was justifiable under the law.

"The order [for the moratorium] was indeed just a policy idea at that point and was not supported by a formal decision," he said in response to a question from Trimedya Panjaitan, a legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

He also confirmed that the order to jail Paskah upon his release had been issued over the phone by Denny, which prompted rumblings among the commission members.

However, Amir insisted there was a valid legal basis for the move, namely a 2006 government regulation on release restrictions for those convicted of terrorism, drug offenses, corruption and transnational crimes.

"If we only apply these bans on early release on terrorists and drug offenders, is that not a miscarriage of justice? The government regulation applies to all perpetrators of these special crimes," he said.

Amir also denied accusations that Paskah was deliberately singled out for political interests. "There are no political motives driving our work. We don't target particular individuals for denial of early release. If there's this assumption that we did it to gain popularity, rest assured that's not how I or my deputy roll," he said. "We act based on the law."

The two Syamsuddins are not believed to be related.

Lawmaker finds anti-truancy scheme 'insulting'

Jakarta Globe - December 7, 2011

Ezra Sihite – The proposed fingerprinting system intended to more accurately gauge attendance at official meetings was again criticized during a plenary session on Tuesday where only 304 of 560 lawmakers turned up.

Indah Kurnia, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said the argument that the system was needed to prevent legislators from faking their presence by signing attendance sheets and leaving, or getting others to sign in for them, falsely presumed that all legislators were guilty of truancy.

"I for one am not the kind of person that does this, so for me the call for a fingerprinting system seems reactionary and insults the integrity of legislators," she said.

She added that there was no way to guarantee that installing the planned Rp 4 billion ($444,000) system would ensure higher attendance rates at official meetings and House sessions.

Indah also questioned the validity of gauging legislators' performance based on their attendance at meetings, saying that they were ultimately answerable to their parties, not the House of Representatives.

"The way I see it, we're here because we were recruited by our parties, so we're responsible to them," she said. "That's why we have a system where we're subject to performance reports from our constituents."

Priyo Budi Santoso, the House deputy speaker overseeing Tuesday's meeting, said the proposal was made in good faith and was not meant to defame House members.

He added that because of the debate over the merits of the system, the House leadership would call a meeting with the leaders of the nine parties in the legislature to discuss the issue.

"We will try to find a solution because even I feel uneasy about the whole idea of treating legislators like employees at a company," said Priyo, from the Golkar Party.

"This is a political institution and we are state officials, so obviously we won't always be able to show up for meetings because of other commitments."

He added that even if the proposal was agreed on, the project to supply the fingerprint readers and other equipment would be carried out transparently and with close scrutiny.

"We will opt for the more effective and efficient devices, and ensure that the tender for the procurement of the devices is open," he said.

The proposal, which has been in the works since last year, came under fire late last month from House Speaker Marzuki Alie, who said the Rp 4 billion price tag was excessive.

Marzuki, from the ruling Democratic Party, said the project should only cost Rp 500 million, and has since moved to get one of his friends a special concession to bid for the project.

Roy Suryo, another Democrat, agreed that the proposed cost was too high for a system that was not even guaranteed to improve attendance rates. "If we want attendance at plenary sessions to improve, we can find more elegant ways to go about it than through a system that just wastes taxpayer money," he said.

The project centers on supplying 16 fingerprint readers for the legislature. Currently, the House uses a system whereby an attendance sheet is passed around for legislators to sign, but many leave after signing.

Legislators travel abroad for comparative studies

Jakarta Post - December 6, 2011

Jakarta – At least four groups of House of Representatives (DPR) members are traveling abroad this month for what they claim are "comparative studies".

They are from the special committee for the bill on social conflict management, the Legislation Body, the Agriculture Commission and the Manpower Commission, tempo.co reported on Tuesday.

Deputy Chairperson of the special committee for the bill on social conflict management, Eva Kusuma Sundari, said two teams of the committee were traveling to Sweden and India respectively, each team consisting of seven House members and two staffers. They left on Dec. 3 and would return on Dec. 9. "We will report the results of our studies to the public," she said.

Deputy Chairperson for the Legislation Body, Ida Fauziah, said that 11 members in charge of the bill for drug and food control had left for China for a comparative study and would return on Dec. 9.

The Agriculture Commission conducted comparative studies in the United States, Japan, China and India. They left at the end of last month and are scheduled to return home today. Their trips are in relation to the deliberation of the food bill and the bill on farmers' protection and empowerment.

"The comparative studies are very important because of, among other things, tariff systems, protection, farmers' financial institutions,subsidies, promotion, agriculture insurance and food institutions,"Herman Khaeron, Deputy Chairperson of the Commission from Democratic Party said.

As for the Manpower Commission, they are traveling to South Korea and Hong Kong. They are in South Korea regarding the deliberation of the revision of the Law for the Replacement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers.

"On our way back home, we will drop off in Hong Kong to find out the conditions of Indonesian migrant workers there," said Rieke Dyah Pitaloka from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.

Police & law enforcement

Public trust in police dropping: Study

Jakarta Post - December 1, 2011

Jakarta – In the wake of a much-discussed online video of a house burglary, which was uploaded by the victim reportedly due to his distrust of the police, a study reveals that only 30 percent of burglary victims in Indonesia had filed police reports.

The study, which was made available to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday, is called "The World Justice Project: Rule of Law Index 2010".

It surveyed 1,000 respondents in Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung and found that 6 percent of respondents had been burgled from September 2006 to September 2009. The study also showed that only 30 percent of burglary victims reported to the police.

Binus University forensic psychology expert Reza Indragiri Amriel said the study strengthen the suggestion that public trust in the police continued to decline. "Many think that reporting a crime to the police would not necessarily lead to a solution. Instead, the victims could be 're- criminalized'," he said.

Foreign affairs & trade

Indonesia ratifies global ban on nuclear test explosions

Associated Press - December 6, 2011

Jakarta, Indonesia – Indonesia says it has ratified a global treaty banning nuclear test explosions.

Negotiated in the 1990s, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty specified that the 44 countries with nuclear power or research reactors at the time needed to give formal approval before it could take effect.

With the endorsement Tuesday by Indonesia's parliament, the treaty is now only awaiting ratification from the United States, China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea and Pakistan.

Indonesian lawmaker Mahfudz Siddiq urged the remaining countries – especially the US and Israel – to get off the bench and sign. Indonesia, a nation of 240 million, has three research atomic reactors.

Indonesia releases Australian drug teen from Bali prison

Agence France Presse - December 4, 2011

Denpasar, Bali – Indonesia Sunday released a 14-year-old Australian boy convicted of drug possession on the resort island of Bali after two months in detention.

A high school student from a coastal area north of Sydney, the teen has been the focus of intense negotiations involving Canberra's Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd and other Australian officials lobbying for his release.

The boy admitted to carrying 6.9 grams of marijuana when he was arrested on Oct. 4 in the tourist area of Kuta, where he was on holiday with his parents.

"Earlier, the process of taking fingerprints... processing release documentation, taking photographs was completed," Bali's Kerobokan prison chief Siswanto told reporters. "He is now free and we have released him," he said, adding he had told the boy not to repeat his actions.

A district court on Nov. 25 handed the teenager a two-month jail sentence for marijuana possession, deducting the eight weeks he had already spent in detention.

The boy had been held at an immigration detention centre in Jimbaran but made a brief stop at Kerobokan prison Sunday to get his fingerprints taken and paperwork finalized before he is handed to immigration authorities at Denpasar airport for deportation. The boy, who wore a white shirt and a balaclava to hide his identity, was accompanied by his father. They did not speak to reporters as they left the prison with immigration officials.

Prosecutor I Gusti Putu Gede Atmaja said he was in "fine condition". "He was glad that he was treated very well during detention," he said.

The boy is expected to fly home to Australia but the timing remains unclear, his lawyer Muhammad Rifan told reporters. He would return home after he had been processed by immigration officials and will be banned for six months from entering Indonesia, the lawyer added.

"Flight tickets have been obtained but I haven't received confirmation from his parents if he will return home today, tonight or tomorrow," Rifan said. "He must be very happy to see his parents and friends again," he added.

Prosecutors had sought a three-month jail term for the boy under a drug possession charge that carries a maximum of two years' imprisonment for minors, saying that the boy was young and likely to change his ways. The defence had tried to have him acquitted, arguing he should undergo rehabilitation instead.

Their case centred on evidence provided by an Australian doctor and New South Wales state police, as well as testimony from a local psychiatrist who had assessed the boy since his detention.

Several Australians have been arrested for drug possession on Bali in recent years, including two traffickers on death row and six serving life sentences in Kerobokan prison.

Economy & investment

Jakarta bracing for fallout from Europe, fearing food shortages

The Australian - December 8, 2011

Peter Alford, Jakarta – Indonesia's government is planning to cope with severe financial and economic shocks in coming months, including food shortages, Vice-President Boediono said yesterday.

Dr Boediono's description of preparations for a global recession coming out of Europe and the US contrasted grimly with the general view that Indonesia should sail through relatively unscathed.

The Asian Development Bank in its 2012 forecasts envisaged Indonesia, the largest Southeast Asian economy, maintaining its 6.5 per cent growth rate.

However Dr Boediono, one his country's foremost economists, said the unsuccessful attempts in Washington and the EU to resolve their crises left Asia with economic and financial disruptions "similar to those in 2007-08, if not worse".

"Currently (Indonesia's) fundamentals are good but we are fully aware that if the global situation continues to worsen, our room of manoeuvre may quickly disappear," he said.

Preparations were under way to meet a possible global liquidity crisis similar to the final months of 2008, including using foreign exchange reserves as a fiscal buffer, protecting local banks' credit access and devising rapidly-deployable government stimulus.

The lesson of Indonesia's 2008 experience was the need to protect the poor and the newly unemployed, Dr Boediono said.

"Underpinning all our social protection programs is our commitment to ensure the stability and availability of foodstuffs, especially rice, for all the population all the time." All the country's main food-producing regions were being prepared to ensure the main harvests in the new year were optimal.

Dr Boediono said Indonesia maintained its commitment to open international trade, although The Jakarta Post reported yesterday the new Trade Minister, Gita Wirjawan, was preparing to implement a swathe of non-tariff barriers across the economy.

Analysis & opinion

Open up Papua to scrutiny

Sydney Morning Herald Editorial - December 5, 2011

Half a century ago, the Dutch encouraged the people of Western New Guinea, now generally known as Papuans or West Papuans, to look forward to independence. That hope was dashed by the Kennedy administration's decision not to support the Netherlands. After a UN interregnum, Indonesia was given charge of the territory with the undertaking to allow an act of free choice by its people about their future. That consultation, in 1969, was a charade, via a thousand cowed or bribed selected "representatives".

On the 50th anniversary of the independence ceremony last week, Papuans demonstrated they are far from reconciled to living as Indonesian citizens. Many thousands came out at great risk in far-flung towns to raise their Morning Star flag. They were forcibly dispersed. A gathering in October, in which prominent independence activists nominated leaders for their notionally independent nation, was broken up with several deaths from gunfire and about 300 arrests. The nominated leaders remain in jail, facing treason charges.

It is clearly an unhappy situation, heightened by the fears among Papuans over the rapid immigration from other parts of Indonesia, attracted by Papua's rich endowments of minerals, oil and timber. Most Papuans demonstrate peacefully for secession, but the tiny band of guerillas keeping up a token resistance helps the military justify its tight supervision of Papua's administration, which spins off many fund-raising opportunities.

As a result, Papua remains an exception to Indonesia's post-Suharto openness. Even today, foreign journalists, diplomats, researchers and aid workers are barred without special permission. The International Committee of the Red Cross is not allowed to open an office. Indonesian officials say they want Papua to develop without disturbance. They sound like the old Netherlands East Indies "native experts".

Wary of trouble with Indonesia on many other fronts, Canberra uses this screen as its excuse to profess ignorance about what's going on. The 2006 deal between John Howard and President Yudhoyono, after a boatload of Papuans crossed the Torres Strait to seek political asylum, turned this into an explicit bargain. But an implicit condition is that Indonesia can't expect immunity from criticism if it continues ruling with a heavy hand. A happier outcome for the Papuans – whether independent or within Indonesia – could come from further political evolution in Jakarta, notably in civil-military relations. An opening of Papua to the world's scrutiny would encourage this. Indeed it might be Jakarta's last and best hope of making the Papuans content to be part of Indonesia.

[Second section concerning a report of a Senate committee on the impact of coal seam gas mining on Murray Darling Basin river system omitted.]

New chief, new expectations

Jakarta Post Editorial - December 3, 2011

After months of interviews and auditions, which included a tug-of-war within the House of Representatives over trivial procedural technicalities, the House's Commission III on legal affairs eventually voted and elected on Friday attorney Abraham Samad as the new chief of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

He replaces Busyro Muqoddas, who had earlier agreed that the House should elect the new chairman along with four new KPK leaders.

The election of Samad came immediately after the House commission elected four new members of the anticorruption commission's board of leadership – Bambang Widjojanto, Adnan Pandupraja, Zulkarnaen and Samad himself. Busyro will remain a member of the KPK leadership board despite his defeat.

The House of Representatives is essentially a political institution, whose membership is established through an amalgamation of representatives of political parties entitled to legislative seats after securing sufficient votes during elections held every five years. It is therefore not surprising if all products of legislative activity, including the election of the new KPK chief and leaders, are politically motivated.

The political nuance in the election process on Friday was very strong, as was evident in the outcome. Samad's rise to the chairmanship came as a surprise because he defeated Bambang Widjojanto, a media darling who topped the list of eight eligible candidates for the new KPK leadership screened by the government-sanctioned selection committee. Samad only ranked fifth in the committee's list.

Also surprising was the exit of Yunus Husein, Abdullah Hehamahua and Handoyo Sudrajat, who were among the top four candidates recommended by the selection committee for the new KPK leadership race.

Now that the election is over, the big question is whether the new KPK leadership can meet the gigantic challenge of improving Indonesia's tarnished image due to continued rampant corruption in the country.

The results of Berlin-based Transparency International's latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2011 exposed the sluggish pace of Indonesia's anticorruption campaign. The country's ranking has risen to 100 out of 183 countries, up from 110 last year. It scored 3.0, a slight increase from last year's 2.8. The CPI perceives 10 as the cleanest score and 0 as the most corrupt.

The new KPK leadership is under pressure to improve its performance, especially after a number of defendants were acquitted from all corruption charges by corruption courts in several regions. It is true that the acquittals cannot completely be blamed on the KPK, as the charges against the defendants had been prepared by its branch offices, whose infrastructure and manpower might not match those available in the capital.

As part of institutional capacity building, the KPK also needs to uphold and rigidly impose the "rules of the game" so as to prevent the repetition of alleged misconduct among commissioners.

Winning the leadership race is an achievement, but bringing an end to rampant corruption in Indonesia would be extraordinary.

Demographic tensions in Papua: A time bomb?

Jakarta Post - December 2, 2011

Cypri Jehan Paju Dale, Jerusalem – With Special Autonomy unable to address long-standing problems facing Papua, development acceleration is the latest government policy in place in the natural-resource-rich province.

The Unit for the Acceleration of Development in Papua and West Papua, known by its acronym UP4B, was formed through Presidential Regulation No. 65/2011. So, to what extent can the acceleration formula can be an appropriate solution, based on an accurate diagnosis of the present multidimensional complexity in Papua?

I consider the policy not only partial, but it also containing intrinsic risks/threats that will potentially worsen the situation in Papua.

According to the presidential regulation, the development acceleration is aimed at "improving people's welfare" (Article 2) through "socioeconomic" as well as "sociopolitical and cultural development" (Article 5). In this far too general objective, there is no provision for the acceleration of the implementation of special autonomy in the form of affirmative policy for indigenous Papuans.

Instead of becoming the main spirit of the acceleration policy, affirmative actions for indigenous Papuans are only account for one of 10 action plans proposed in the development acceleration policy. More ironically, the affirmative actions are restricted to "giving opportunities and a quota to indigenous Papuan youths, men and women" in the recruitment of military and police personnel, state higher education institutions and "the provision of sporting facilities" (Action Plan 7).

The other nine action plans are general development agendas, with strong economic and investment interests. Apart from giant transportation infrastructure to link natural-recourse-rich regions across Papua, many mega-projects will be implemented. Among them is an industrial and trade zone in Arar, Sorong, a special economic zone in gas-rich Bintuni Bay, fish industrial centers in Sorong, Kamimana and Weri, oil and gas development in West Papua, mining industry in Timika and the infamous Merauke Food and Energy Estate (MIFEE).

While the benefits for native communities are not warranted, there are deep concerns that development acceleration will spark new waves of migration to Papua, which will in turn exacerbate the marginalization of indigenous Papuans. Combined with the extraction of resources, security operations, this marginalization threatens the survival, well-being and dignity of indigenous Papuans.

A preferential option to focus on the development for Papuan people is imperative within the context of abnormal demographic transition in Papua. As the result of the government-sponsored transmigration program and spontaneous migration attracted by a development boom, by 2010 the non- indigenous Papuan population exceeded the native Papuans at a ratio of 52- 48. In some regencies such as Keerom and big cities the composition is up to 60-40 (BPS 2010). While the population growth rate of Papuans is only 1.84 percent a year, the migrant population is increasing by 10.82 percent a year. It is projected that by 2020 Papuans will account for only around 29 percent of the total population (Emslie, 2010).

Research I conducted with human rights advocate John Jonga earlier this year discovered a so-called migrant capture mechanism during the special autonomy era, which began in 2001. Migrants' access to the process and benefit of development is better than that of native Papuans.

Facts and figures from Keerom regency speak for themselves. Indigenous Papuans account for only 40 percent of the population (BPS, 2010). Most of the native people live in rural areas such as Senggi, Web, Waris and Toe Hitam. The urban areas of Arso and Skanto are occupied mainly by non- Papuans (78 percent).

In such an imbalanced composition and distribution of the population, the struggle for socio-, economic, cultural and political power is dominated by migrants. Only six out of 21 local legislative council members and seven out of 39 heads of government agencies are native Papuans. The migrants also rule the trade and agriculture sector.

The domination of the non-Papuan population in the local power struggle is indicated in the relocation of the regency capital from the predominantly- Papuan district of Waris to the predominantly-migrant district of Arso, which was justified by Law No. 26/2002. This decision has moved the center of public services and development focus from the native Papuan area to a transmigration area. It also contributes to the growing disparity between migrants and native Papuans.

While development in education and the health sector has been significantly improved in Arso and Skanto, thanks to special autonomy funds, basic services in predominantly-native Papuans remain minimal.

Meanwhile, the predominantly Papuan areas are more and more securitized. Contrary to the small number of doctors and teachers, the number of security forces is high in rural areas. In Toe Hitam or Web, access to basic services is restricted by difficult geographical terrain, but ironically the government is able to consistently send military forces there.

These conditions have made Papuans feel deserted and oppressed. The socio-, political, economic, and cultural complexities prevent them from competing for access to the process and result of development.

The hazardous development practices in Papua have a correlation with the powerlessness of indigenous Papuans to participate in the process of determining what kind of development, and at what speed, they want in their own land. The determining power is in the hands of the central government and local elites who define, both discursively and in practice, what is good for them, and decide what (and who) can be sacrificed for that purpose.

Without re-articulation and refinement of strategies to implement affirmative policies for indigenous Papuans, the acceleration of development will solve nothing, and worsen the existing complexities in Papua. From this standpoint, the development acceleration amounts to a time bomb.

For Papuan people, the policy will potentially bring about more hazards in the forms of resource exploitation, marginalization and minoritization. The fast-growing population rate of migrants and the disparities between them and the native people engender a high risk of racial/ethnic plus religious conflicts. Politically, this will further fuel anti-Indonesia sentiment.

There is thus far no guarantee for the Papuans that their survival, wellbeing and dignity can be achieved within the developmentalist Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

[The writer is a researcher at Teratai Hati Papua Foundation (YTHP).]

Time for Rudd to take a stand for basic rights in West Papua

The Australian - December 1, 2011

Tom Clarke – Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has staked Australia's UN Security Council candidacy – and international reputation – on the claims that Australia is a "principled advocate of human rights for all" and that we "do what we say".

He should be just as concerned, forthright and vocal on human-rights abuses and basic democratic rights and freedoms on our doorstep as he has been on the Middle East and North Africa.

Today is the 50th anniversary of the first raising of the West Papuan Morning Star flag. The occasion will almost certainly be marked by flag- raising ceremonies throughout West Papua – a basic democratic act that can land Papuans in jail for up to 15 years.

Tensions in the Indonesian province are running particularly high this year, following a recent deadly crackdown by Indonesian military and police forces on the Third Papuan People's Congress. The October 19 crackdown ended with the deaths of at least three pro-democracy protesters, 90 injuries and 300 arrests.

As the torture videos leaked last year suggest, this was not an isolated event. The Indonesian military has form in crushing political dissent in the province. Theys Eluay, the elected leader of the previous congress, held in 2000, was later assassinated by the military. Particularly concerning are reports of a heavy military build-up in the province ahead of today, although the reports are difficult to verify, with a ban on journalists travelling to West Papua.

While Rudd distinguished himself as one of the first world leaders to advocate a no-fly zone over Libya to protect civilians, he has not been as principled or forthcoming in standing up for basic human rights and civilian protections in Papua.

Last week, the Human Rights Law Centre and leading global human rights group Human Rights Watch wrote to Rudd urging him to follow US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's lead and directly raise concerns with Indonesia about the violence and human-rights abuses in West Papua. We suggested four steps to help reduce the likelihood of violence, the excessive use of force, and the suppression of peaceful protest.

First, Rudd should urge the Indonesian government to ensure full and free media access to Papua. Given the restrictions on media, Australian embassy staff should be deployed to monitor and observe today's events.

Second, he needs to reiterate with the relevant Indonesian officials Australia's unequivocal support for the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association. Indonesia must abide by, and be held to account for, its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Third, Rudd should call for an immediate, full and impartial investigation into the deaths and injuries, and allegations of excessive use of force by the authorities, arising from the congress on October 19. Consistent with international law, use of force by police or military forces must be strictly necessary, proportionate and exercised for a legitimate purpose.

Fourth, Rudd should urge Indonesia to release all political prisoners detained in Papua – including Filep Karma, who Amnesty International reports was imprisoned for his part in a flag-raising ceremony. All persons, including independence supporters, should be allowed to express their political views peacefully without fear of arrest or reprisal.

Australia has a critical leadership role on human rights in Asia and the Pacific and should take a principled and proactive stand on human rights with a key partner such as Indonesia.

It is not in our strategic interest to have a festering human rights problem on our doorstop. Nor is it the sign of a true friend to remain silent on such issues. If Australia is to be a true friend to Indonesia, we should heed Oscar Wilde's words: "Anybody can say charming things and try to please and to flatter, but a true friend always says unpleasant things, for he knows that then he is doing good."

Rudd must take a principled, public stand for basic human and democratic rights in our region.

[Tom Clarke is a spokesperson for the Human Rights Law Centre.]

From president to defendant?

Inside Indonesia - December 1, 2011

Genevieve Woods – In October 2010, Indonesia faced a diplomatic milestone - the inaugural visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) to The Netherlands. The visit was to be an important step in rebuilding ties between Indonesia and its former colonisers, marking the first time in more than 40 years than an Indonesian head of state had visited that country.

But in a dramatic turn of events, just minutes before the plane was due to depart, the president decided to cancel his visit. The decision was so unexpected that members of the presidential entourage already waiting on board the plane were forced to disembark and join their leader for an emergency press conference at the airport.

The president's visit would have placed him at risk of arrest by Dutch authorities, as a group of separatists from the Republic of South Maluku had commenced legal proceedings against him in The Hague District Court for gross violations of human rights. Outraged by the indignity of the threat, the president protested against the proceedings: "What I cannot accept is if the president of Indonesia visits the Netherlands at the invitation of the Queen... then the court may decide to arrest that president." The Dutch government, meanwhile, claimed that the president was protected by diplomatic immunity and could not have been taken into custody, and the case against him was dismissed in court just one day after SBY had been due to arrive.

As long as SBY remains president, he maintains immunity from prosecution, as the Dutch government suggests. But as he draws toward the end of his final term, the question arises: will he be forced to face the consequences of his failure to take a more serious position against human rights violations during his time in office?

Taking it out of Indonesian hands

Indonesia is particularly susceptible to a growing trend in international law – the prosecution of human rights abuses in foreign courts. For international prosecution to be successful, the nation of origin of the accused must be unwilling or unable to prosecute. Indonesia continually fits this description, as recent high-profile failures to ensure justice for victims of human rights abuses have cast doubt on the impartiality and professionalism of Indonesian courts.

Following the notoriously unsuccessful East Timor tribunals in the Indonesian Human Rights Court in 2004, the President of the European Union, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the General Secretary of the United Nations all publicly stated that they believe Indonesian courts are unable to provide justice for gross violations of human rights. This high-profile criticism has had a serious impact on Indonesia's international reputation.

The issue once again came to the forefront of the global media agenda when cases of torture in Papua were publicised and allowed to go unpunished. In January 2011, three soldiers caught on video torturing two Papuan men were each sentenced to less than ten months imprisonment. The verdict caused outrage amongst the global media and NGO activists, who had not only heard about the incident, but had actually watched it themselves on YouTube as the video went viral. The global community's indignation over the Indonesian judicial system's failure to respond in a way that recognised the gravity of the situation was amplified by the horror of witnessing torture first hand.

As human rights abuses in Indonesia begin to reach a wider audience, foreign governments find it increasingly difficult to remain silent. The more Indonesian courts are seen to be incapable of guaranteeing justice, the more likely it is that foreign nations will come under pressure to make use of the increasing scope of international law and take Indonesian prosecutions into their own hands.

A president in the docks?

SBY is not the only Indonesian official at risk of overseas prosecution, but he is by far the most high-profile. And while, for now, he has full immunity from prosecution, upon leaving office he will only be entitled to the significantly weaker protections afforded to a former head of state – which have been waived in other international cases where gross violations of human rights have been at issue. So, once his term in office draws to an end, the president could be forced to choose his travel destinations carefully.

Countries as diverse as the UK, the Netherlands, the USA, Spain and Belgium have initiated proceedings against former heads of state in the past. Australia followed suit in 2011, filing charges against the president of Sri Lanka for war crimes. Jennifer Robinson, a human rights specialist based in London, has told the media that several groups are currently preparing cases against the president for crimes against humanity. According to Robinson, if the president were to travel to London after leaving office in 2014, he would face a significant risk of indictment, even though he has not been directly involved in individual acts of human rights abuse. She explained the legal basis for the threat of action: "Under the doctrine of command responsibility, political and military leaders who fail to take action against their subordinates for human rights violations can themselves be found responsible."

By failing to ensure justice for victims of human rights abuses in Indonesia, SBY has made himself vulnerable to international prosecution. But, ultimately, the president remains in control of his own destiny because there is still time to undertake further legal reform. If SBY chooses to champion the rights of victims, he will increase his chances of avoiding a situation where he finds himself confined to Indonesia for fear of foreign prosecution - and in the process, bring the perpetrators to justice.

[Genevieve Woods (woodsgenevieve@gmail.com) is an Arts/Law student at the University of Sydney. She has just finished her Honours year in Indonesian Studies.]

Indonesia: Strikes and protests as discontent rises

Direct Action - December-January 2012

By Max Lane – The simmering discontent throughout Indonesia regularly overflowed throughout October and November. There were student protests against the Yudhoyono government, attacking corruption, economic injustice and political manipulation of local government, in cities including Jakarta, Jogjakarta, Cirebon, Samarinda (in Borneo), Makassar, Surabaya and Kediri.

There were also demonstrations in Papua, after an incident in which police disbanded a political meeting in Jayapura, killing at least six people. Hundreds of others were arrested, ordered to strip to their shorts and made to squat in the sun for a long period. Days later demonstrations demanded a referendum on the region's status, including an option for independence.

Demonstrations against the US-owned Freeport mining corporation over its maltreatment of workers, especially strikers, have also taken place in Papuan towns, as well as in Jakarta and Jogjakarta. Striking workers have been killed in Papua. It was also revealed that Freeport had paid US$14 million to the Indonesian police to provide security. There are recent rumours that US military personnel are now also at Freeport. (Is this where the US marines to be based at Darwin will end up?)

Mobilisations have also supported a bill in parliament that would oblige employers and the government to provide some minimum social insurance – but only to securely employed workers. Trade unions covering this section of workers – such as the metalworkers union covering some larger manufacturing plants – have held more protests.

Batam clashes

Perhaps the most explosive situation developed in Batam, a small island just off the coast of Singapore. This has been developed as a manufacturing area servicing companies based in Singapore, as well as in Jakarta. Professional and managerial workers cross from Singapore on a daily basis; it is a 20-minute ferry ride. The prospect of manufacturing employment has attracted people from all over the archipelago. A sex industry has also developed servicing Singaporean men.

According to Indonesian newspapers, on November 23 approximately 30,000 workers went on strike and mobilised a protest. The workers were organised by three trade unions: the Konfederasi Serikat Pekerja Seluruh Indonesia, Federasi Serikat Pekerja Metal Seluruh Indonesia and the Konfederasi Serikat Buruh Seluruh Indonesia. Since the fall of the Suharto dictatorship in 1998, and especially during the last five years, more independent unions have been organising.

The workers came from factories in three different manufacturing zones, which included plants assembling electronics as well as materials related to shipping. The unions were protesting after the failure of three rounds of tripartite negotiations on a new minimum wage for Batam. The workers are demanding a minimum wage of 1.76 million rupiah (A$195) per month, while the employer association is insisting on 1.26 million rupiah, which is even less than the municipal government was advocating. Because of the influence of the Singaporean economy, the cost of living is higher on Batam than in other provincial centres.

The police eventually moved against the protest, which was being held outside the local government offices. According to the media reports, thousands of workers were revving the engines on their motorbikes, between listening to speeches. In the fray that followed, two workers were killed and 21 injured. Workers vented their anger on cars and other property. The next day, another demonstration was held to protest the killings and a general police crackdown. To deal with the protest, which mobilised at least 5000 workers, police increased their numbers in the field to 1200. During the protest, at least nine police posts were attacked and damaged, indicating the anger felt by workers.

Newspapers are reporting that since November 25, the situation in Batam has returned to "normal" – that is, with shops opened again, albeit with 1200 police patrolling the streets. In the aftermath, the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce has claimed that the strikes were costing US$3 million per day, including the cost of delays to planes arriving and departing Batam airport.

On November 28, the governor of Riau, the province in which Batam is located, announced a new minimum wage of 1.3 million rupiah. There are no signs yet of what the trade unions will do next. It is unlikely that there will not be more actions. Industrial unrest has been common in Batam over the last year, and business interests claim that some enterprises were already leaving the island. In June, 1500 taxi drivers struck and demonstrated over changes to the metering system.

Meanwhile trade unions from the Jakarta and surrounding areas (known as Jabotabek) have held a press conference to threaten a similar action in their region if wage demands are not met. The larger, consolidated unions in this region have also spearheaded the mobilisations supporting a social insurance bill.

Still no opposition

While there are more and more signs of sharpening unrest in the form of social and economic protests, there is still no sign of either an electoral or extraparliamentary opposition, real or false. Things are still brewing.

Among the elite-dominated political parties, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), headed by Megawati Sukarnoputri, has some elements striving to portray themselves as an ideological or platform-based opposition. Individual PDIP members of parliament, such as former TV celebrity Riah Pitaloka, have supported the social insurance bill, including joining worker demonstrations. Others, such as Budiman Sujatmiko, a leader of the People's Democratic Party in the 1990s, have been positioning themselves as nationalists, focusing critical public statements on foreign corporations, demanding renegotiations and so on. There have also been some voices even within the government, using the current bad press that Freeport is receiving, to suggest a renegotiation with it.

These elements appear to be either too small or too moderate to transform the PDIP into a party that can even create illusions of an active alternative. Despite this, it is emerging as the party with the largest stable, genuine base, even though registering less than 20% in the polls. It has a core of members and sympathisers based on long-term local allegiances. Only Islamic parties have a similar core base, but the political Islam constituency has splintered over the last 30 years so that no one Islamic party has as large a base. The total vote for the numerous Islamic parties also fell at the last election.

Occupy Jakarta

One of the most important developments has been the Occupy Jakarta daily picket, which has been held outside the Jakarta Stock Exchange for more than a month. While the pickets have been small – from 20 to 200 – they have played an important role in facilitating networking among a very broad range of groups.

Since the fall of Suharto in 1998, but even more so in the last five years, activist and discussion groups, as well as unions of various kinds, have mushroomed. In this huge country, this has happened often with little interconnection or even knowledge of each other. On the other hand, historical differences (from the 1990s) between the more organised groups have created what many activists see as a highly factional environment. Many Occupy Jakarta participants say that some progress has been made in reducing this.

The regular discussions held at Occupy Jakarta, with guest resource persons from many groups, have put on the agenda the idea of a collective process to forge an alternative progressive platform. It is not clear yet how rapidly this will progress or whether it will do so inside the Occupy Jakarta framework. However, it has injected a note of optimism in activist circles. On November 19, an Occupy general assembly adopted a resolution on Papua after a week of daily discussions. The main points were: an end to all violence against the people of Papua; withdraw the army and police from Papua; freeze Freeport and its assets and hand over its future to a decision of the Freeport workers, local people and traditional leaders; Indonesia must immediately improve infrastructural, health and education facilities; a free dialogue between the Papuan people, Indonesian people and government on the future of Papua, excluding anybody who has received funds from Freeport; democratic rights for the Papuan people as well as efforts to increase productivity there; end stigmatisation of Papuans as criminals or separatists; bring Freeport to justice for human rights violations, environmental damage and violence towards workers; and Freeport to agree to the wage demands of Freeport workers.

Responding to the recent major worker protests over wages, Occupy Jakarta picket discussions are now focusing on wages.